Colors of White
by xSlytherinxPrincessxVampirax
Summary: Toshiro Hitsugaya and Gin Ichimaru's best friends- who just happen to be sisters- have been in the world of the living. When they return with their family, the balance of the Seireitei begins to shift.
1. Chapter 1

_Dear Toshiro,_

_I don't know if you've been reading my letters—I don't know if they're even getting to you, really—but I hope you are. How are you? I hope you're well. I have another concert next Saturday. It's in Karakura Town. If you're not to busy with captain stuff, you should come._

_I miss you, Toshiro. I miss having my best friend around. It sucks._

_I understand, though. I really do. You have responsibilities—you're not a kid, you can't just run off and mess around all the time. I wish you could, though, like back when we were little._

_I hope I'll see you soon._

_Love,_

_Hunter _

Toshiro Hitsugaya sighed. He folded the letter, slid it into its envelope, and put it into a drawer, on top of countless others.

"Stupid girl," he murmured, picking up a pen and pulling a stack of paperwork toward him. He immersed himself in his work, as he did every day.

There was reason behind his workaholism.

* * *

"So this is where you disappear to when you're not working."

"Rangiku—what are you doing here?"

"I followed you! So, tell me," she demanded, "What are you doing here? You don't exactly strike me as the concert-going type."

"I'm not," he sighed, staring up at the stage.

She followed his gaze. Neither spoke for several minutes, watching the group of girls singing and dancing onstage. His attention seemed to be on one in particular—a tiny girl with long platinum blonde hair with icy blue streaks in it, wearing a purple off-the-shoulder shirt with a skull on it, a short black skirt, and punk boots.

"Who is she?"

He sighed again.

"Hunter."

"…Aaaand…?" she prompted.

"My best friend. We grew up together. We went to the academy together and graduated together, too. She didn't stay, though. She came here to study and to perform. She writes me, I come to her concerts, but we don't talk—she doesn't know I come."

"Why don't you talk to her?" she asked.

"I don't know," he admitted.

They watched the rest of the concert in silence.

"This conversation ends here," he said, turning to leave.

"You miss her?" she asked, although it was more a statement than a question.

He stopped.

"Of course."

"You should write to her."

He stood a moment longer, then walked away.

* * *

_Dear Hunter,_

_Come home._

_-Toshiro_

Hunter stared at the piece of paper in her hands, reading it over and over.

"Hunter? Are you ok?" a hand softly tilted Hunters face upward.

Hunter's "hunter green" eyes met purple ones framed by dark brown and purple bangs. It was her older sister, Jaedelyn.

"C'mon, get up off the floor," Jaedelyn pulled Hunter up off the ground.

Hunter hadn't even realized she'd sat down.

"What is that?"

Hunter handed the paper to her sister, who read it in a glance.

"Are you going to go?"

Hunter just stared up at her blankly.

Jaedelyn laughed and placed a hand on the petite girl's head.

"I know you miss him, Hunter."

Hunter nodded.

"Do you want to go?"

Hunter nodded again.

"What's stopping you?"

"I don't want to go without you!"

"I'll go with you, silly!" Jaedelyn laughed.

"You will?"

"Of course. And I'm sure I'm not the only one. Our tour's over, anyway."

"Yeah, but they were talking about another one."

"It's not official, though."

"True…." Hunter bit her lip thoughtfully..

"C'mon, Hun!" Jaedelyn said, nudging her. "Stop worrying! It's so not like you!"

"I know!" Hunter giggled. "I'm just nervous, I guess. It's been so long since I've heard from Shiro, and he suddenly writes me that he wants me to come back…."

"Yeah, it is really random…." Jaedelyn trailed off thoughtfully, then shrugged it off.

"Should I write him back?"

"Nah, surprise him! C'mon—let's get packing!"

Jaedelyn grabbed Hunter's hand and dragged her up the stairs toward their bedrooms, giggling.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please review/PM and let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh—hey, can I help you?"

Hunter turned to see a voluptuous strawberry-blonde looking down at her from the office doorway.

"Hiya!" she chirped, beaming up at the older woman. "I'm Hunter Atchison."

"Oh! Hunter! Hi! I'm Rangiku Matsumoto. Lieutenant, 10th Division."

"10th Division…. Toshiro's lieutenant," Hunter said softly, looking down, her long, choppy bangs covering her eyes.

"That's right."

Hunter looked up, brushing her bangs out of her face.

"I've been looking for Shiro, but I can't find him. Could you tell me where—"

"Matsumoto, what are you—"

Toshiro stepped past Rangiku and froze halfway into the room. He and Hunter stared at each other, wide-eyed and silent, for several awkward moments, while Rangiku watched in curious amusement.

"Hunter," he finally choked out, breaking the silence.

Hunter squealed and tackled him, throwing her arms around his neck. He wrapped his around her waist and pulled her to him, holding her tight.

"I missed you, Shiro," she whispered.

"I missed you, too. Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"I wanted to surprise you."

"You did."

"I know! I could tell!" she giggled, stepping back slightly.

He sighed and shook his head exasperatedly, but there was a slight smile on his face.

"What are you staring at?" he snapped suddenly, glaring at Rangiku.

"She shorter than you," Rangiku stated simply, shrugging, suppressing a grin.

He blinked and glanced back at Hunter. Hunter blinked as well and tilted her head, studying Toshiro. She frowned; Rangiku was right. It wasn't by much—only about an inch—but he was taller than her.

"No fair!" she whined, stomping her high-topped foot on the ground. "You were the one person who was shorter than me! Now I'm shorter than everybody!"

She threw herself on the ground dramatically, thankful she'd chosen to wear jeans and a full-length shirt (so that only her stomach was revealed when it slid up). Toshiro was just thankful she didn't kick and scream—she could be pretty childish, but at least she had limits.

A tall man with spiky purple-black hair and blue eyes burst into the room.

"Hey, 'Lil Shiro!" he laughed, ruffling Toshiro's hair. "What's up? Hey, why is Hunter on the floor?"

"Shiro's taller than me, Hayden!" Hunter cried, sitting up. She pouted, looking up at the man.

"Aw, poor Hunter," he picked her up and set her on her feet. "But don't you remember how he used to get picked on for being small? Girls don't get picked on like that—small girls are cute."

"But some girls get picked on for being small," Hunter argued.

"Those are girls with small breasts," Rangiku corrected. She cupped Hunter's breasts and squeezed a few times. "Yours aren't huge, but they're not small."

"Matsumoto! Don't do that!" Toshiro scolded, pushing her away from Hunter.

"It's ok, Toshiro, she was just helping," Hunter said, giggling.

Toshiro frowned; Rangiku's antics didn't seem very helpful to him.

"Don't worry about it, 'Lil Shiro, girls are just weird like that. They talk about their boobs and stuff all the time. I live with them, remember?" Hayden laughed.

"Will you stop calling me that?!" Toshiro growled, glaring, abandoning the awkward topic.

"Nope! Never ever! Oh, by the way," he turned to Rangiku, "I'm Hayden Atchison. I'm Hunter's oldest brother."

"Rangiku Matsumoto, Lieutenant, 10th Division."

"Rangiku…. You know, I think I remember you—you used to hang out with Gin and my sister, Jaedelyn, back when we were kids."

"Yeah, I did. I thought you seemed familiar. Is Jaedelyn back, too?"

"Yeah, she's around somewhere."

"Hey, Hayden! Hayden!" Hunter tugged on Hayden's sleeve.

"What's up, Hun?"

"Can we get some ice cream?" She asked, grinning up at him.

"Why are you even asking? You know I'd never turn down something like that."

"Yeah, I know," she giggled, then latched onto Toshiro's arm. "T—"

"Fine."

She blinked, and Rangiku and Hayden cracked up laughing.

"He's always been a softie when it comes to Hunter," Hayden told Rangiku.

"Really? He's a total hardass to, well, everyone else!"

Toshiro glared at them.

"Why _did _you give in so quickly, Shiro?" Hunter asked curiously. "It usually takes at least a few 'pretty pleases' and sometimes I even have to pout. I don't think ice cream's ever necessitated tears, though…."

"You just got here. I think it's worthy of ice cream," he smiled slightly.

She giggled.

"Plus my defenses are down from all the years apart," he added.

She pushed him into a wall, startling Rangiku and making Hayden laugh more. Even Toshiro had to choke back a laugh; it was such a reminder of their childhood.

"Tag! You're it!" She smacked Hayden's arm and grabbed Toshiro's hand, dashing away, dragging the young captain behind.

* * *

Jaedelyn sighed as she walked through the Seireitei. She'd just returned from Rukongai; that place was so _depressing!_ Her parents were both nobles (on her maternal side, her mother was the last; on her paternal side, her grandmother had been the last—she married a non-noble shinigami, and as the last of the family, the noble family name changed); they were one of the Four Noble Families. As such, she'd grown up in the Seireitei. The first districts were nice, but the deeper you went, the worse they got. She'd been as far as the 64th District in the North Region. Each time she went to the Rukongai, she was reminded of how lucky she was. She was incredibly grateful for her wonderful home. The barracks, where most of the shinigami lived, organized by division, weren't bad—they were palaces compared to Rukongai—but they were nothing compared to the Atchison estate.

She sat at the edge of a fountain and dipped her fingers in the cool water. She tipped her head back, the breeze blowing through her long hair, recalling the day she'd wandered into the 64th District of North Rukongai.

_She couldn't believe people could live like this. The streets were filled with people—dirty, disheveled people, dressed in rags. Of course, most of these people didn't have the spiritual power to require food; that's how they were able to survive. But how could they stand it?_

_She looked down at her outfit. She'd worn a plain black yukata and black sandals. It was the simplest clothing she owned, but she still stood out—she was clean, her hair was brushed (although she'd left it down), and she had shoes; she hadn't seen a single person with shoes of any kind since the 59__th__ District. They'd been rare in all districts past the 49__th__._

_This was her first time past the 5__th__ District in any region._

_Suddenly, she was slammed into a wall. She cried out, looking up to see a boy about her age, with dirty black hair and tattered clothing._

"_What're ya doin', here, princess?" he sneered._

"_I-I'm not doing anything!"_

"_Gimme your shoes!" he demanded._

"_M-my sh-shoes?" she stuttered, frightened beyond belief._

"_Yeah, ya heard me! Gimme your shoes!" he grabbed her by her yukata and shook her, knocking her head against the wall._

_She cried out again, tears springing to her eye as she brought her hands up to her head. _

"_C'mon!" he screamed, shaking her again. "Gimme your—oof!"_

_He suddenly let go of her, and she sank to the ground._

"_Leave her alone."_

_She opened her eyes to see a boy with silver hair standing in front of her, his back to her. Her attacker was sprawled out on the ground, although he quickly rose to his feet and lunged at the silver-haired boy, only to be shoved back down._

_A girl with orange hair knelt down beside her._

"_Are you all right?" the girl asked._

"_My head's all warm and sticky," she whimpered. "It hurts."_

"_Let me see," the girl said._

_She gently pulled Jaedelyn's hands from her head. Jaedelyn glanced up at her defender while the girl examined her head. The mean boy kept running at him and trying to hit him. He was trying to beat her defender up, but he wasn't very good at it; he couldn't land a hit, and every time he would lunge he would be shoved back. He was panting and sweating, whereas her protector hardly seemed fazed in the least; he just stood there, making small movements to dodge and block, but otherwise remaining still._

"_You're bleeding quite a bit," the girl murmured._

"_I know," Jaedelyn mumbled, watching the 'fight.'_

_The jerk growled, staggering back._

"_You'll get yours, Ichimaru!" he yelled, running away._

_Her protector—'Ichimaru'—didn't respond. He just turned around to look at Jaedelyn._

_He was surprisingly well kempt for someone in Rukongai, especially this far in—he was hardly immaculate, but he was certainly cleaner than most of the people in the area, and his clothes were intact. There was even a design down his left side. He smiled down at her, his eyes closed—no, not closed, squinted. Odd, but who was she to complain?_

"_What's your name?" he asked._

"_J-Jaedelyn," she said softly. "Jaedelyn Atchison."_

"_Heya, Jaedelyn," his grin widened. "I'm Gin, an' this is Rangiku."_

"_Rangiku Matsumoto," the girl said, giving Jaedelyn a kind smile._

"_It's nice to meet you," Jaedelyn said politely, smiling tentatively at them._

"_You ain't from around here, are ya?" Gin asked, chuckling._

"_Oh, um, no, I-I'm not."_

"_Well, where are ya from?" he prodded._

_She bit her lip, looking away._

"_You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," Rangiku said._

_Jaedelyn smiled gratefully at her._

"_But, we do need to get your head taken care of," she added, turning to Gin. "She's bleeding a lot. I don't think it's too serious, but we should get her inside and cleaned up."_

_Gin nodded._

"_Can ya walk?" he asked._

"_Of course," Jaedelyn said, standing up._

_She wobbled, swaying back and forth. Gin caught her just before she fell._

"_Or not," she said, smiling sheepishly._

"_That's all right, we'll get'cha there—I'll just carry ya!" he swung her onto his back, making her squeal._

_She wrapped her arms around his neck, startled by the sudden swing._

"_Don't scare her, Gin," Rangiku scolded._

"_Ah, I didn't scare her!" he grinned, glancing back at the girl on his back. "Did I?"_

"_N-no!" Jaedelyn said, blushing slightly._

"_See?" he stuck his tongue out at Rangiku, who rolled her eyes._

"_Gin and I live close by," Rangiku told Jaedelyn. "We'll get you fixed up there."_

"_Ok," Jaedelyn smiled. "Thank you."_

"_It's no big deal," Rangiku said cheerily. "That guy's a jerk. He and Gin don't get along at all—Gin'll jump at any opportunity to fight him, and he's not smart enough to stay away or back down!"_

"_Boys," Jaedelyn giggled._

"_Uh-huh," Rangiku nodded, laughing. "Boys!"_

"_Girls," Gin said, making the girls laugh harder._

_They came to a small wooden building. Rangiku led the way in, holding the makeshift door open for Gin._

"_Set her down on my bed, Gin," Rangiku said._

_Gin walked through a curtain and set Jaedelyn down on one of two futons. Rangiku came in a minute later with a bucket of water and a rag. She dipped the rag into the water and dabbed it on Jaedelyn's wound, making her hiss._

"_I'm sorry," Rangiku said softly._

"_It's ok," Jaedelyn said, flinching as the rag touched the wound again._

_Gin left, returning a few minutes later with a handful of bandages. He sat on the other futon, setting the bandages beside him. Rangiku finished cleaning the blood away and took the bandages from him, wrapping them around Jaedelyn's head._

"_I feel like a mummy," Jaedelyn giggled when Rangiku was done._

"_A mummy in the making," Rangiku nodded. "You're not quite a mummy yet!"_

"_Yet?" Jaedelyn asked, grinning._

"_We're waiting until you fall asleep to finish the transformation," Rangiku giggled. "Speaking of which, you should stay here for the night—I don't know where you live, but it's obviously not particularly close, and it'll be dark soon."_

"_I'm gonna go find us somethin' ta eat before it does get dark," Gin said, standing._

"_Do you have money?" Rangiku asked, frowning._

"_I have a little," he nodded. "A few coins—it won't buy much, but I'll get what I can."_

_He started to leave._

"_Oh—w-wait!" Jaedelyn shouted._

_He stopped in the doorway, looking back at her curiously. She reached into her yukata at the waist, pulling a purple pouch from it. She pulled out a handful of Kan coins._

"_Here," she said, holding them out to Gin._

_He just stared at the coins, dumbfounded._

"_What?" she asked, looking worried. "What's wrong? Is it not enough? I didn't count it, but I have more if you need—"_

"_I can't take that," he finally said softly._

"_Huh? Why not?" she asked._

"_That's a lotta money, Jaedelyn," he murmured._

"_It is?" she glanced at Rangiku, who looked like she was about to cry. "I don't think it's that much…."_

"_Are you kidding?" Rangiku gaped. "You're holding a fortune in your hand!"_

"_A fortune?" she looked down at the coins in her hand._

"_Yes!" Rangiku exclaimed. "A fortune!"_

"_This isn't a fortune," Jaedelyn argued. "It's only a handful of coins."_

"_What world do you live in?" Rangiku asked softly._

_Jaedelyn looked down at her lap. She was silent for a moment._

"_Please take it," she whispered. "Please."_

"_Why?" Gin asked._

"_You saved me," she said, looking up at him. "You two were my guardian angels. I want to pay you back. I want to help. The least I can do is give you some money to help buy food."_

_He studied her for a moment, then smiled. He nodded and held his hand out. She smiled and gave him the money._

"_Gin!" Rangiku gasped. "You can't just take her money—!"_

"_She wants to help, Rangiku," he replied._

"_But it's so much money," Rangiku frowned._

"_It's not a big deal, Rangiku!" Jaedelyn chirped. "I have plenty more."_

"_See?" Gin grinned. "She has more!"_

_Rangiku sighed, waving him away._

"_I'll bring back a treat!" he laughed as he ran out._

_He returned with a loaf of bread, some apples, meat, dried persimmons, and even a small cake. He also had a bottle of milk. Rangiku looked like she was about to pass out._

"_This is amazing," she sighed happily, chewing slowly, savoring the tastes of fresh delicacies. "I've never eaten like this before!"_

"_Neither have I," Gin nodded, tearing into his meal._

_Jaedelyn was silent as she nibbled at her food._

"_Hey, ya ok?" Gin asked, suddenly realizing she hadn't said a word._

"_I'm fine," she said, smiling. It wasn't a very convincing smile, but he didn't press._

_She was happy that they were so happy, but she felt guilty. She felt guilty just for being who she was and living the life she lived—she had so much. She ate whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. She had her own room, all kinds of clothes and shoes—everything she could ever want. And they had practically nothing._

"_Cake time!" Rangiku cheered, snapping Jaedelyn from her thoughts._

_The cake did wonders for Jaedelyn's mood. She still felt a bit bad for how much she had compared to how little they had, but the sweet dessert helped her push those thoughts to the back of her head._

"_Mm, so good!" Rangiku sighed happily._

_Gin and Jaedelyn nodded in agreement._

"_Are you ready for bed, Jaedelyn?" Rangiku asked, seeing Jaedelyn yawn._

"_Oh—um, yes, I am getting a bit tired."_

"_You can sleep with me," Rangiku grinned._

"_Yay! Slumber party!" Jaedelyn giggled, scampering after Rangiku._

_The next morning, Jaedelyn headed home. Before she left, she hid her purse under Rangiku's bed, along with a note telling them that they had no choice but to accept the money._

_A few days later, they came home to find her sitting inside. She'd brought a backpack with her this time. After excitedly greeting her friends, she pulled out a silk yukata, black with pink flowers. She handed it to Rangiku._

"_Jaedelyn," Rangiku gasped, holding it up to examine._

"_Do you like it?" Jaedelyn asked, beaming._

"_It's beautiful! But, Jaedelyn—"_

"_No arguments!" Jaedelyn cut her off, grinning. "I picked it out just for you, and if you don't accept it, I'll cry!"_

"_Thank you, Jaedelyn," Rangiku threw her arms around her._

"_You're welcome!" she chirped. "That's not all I brought, though!"_

"_There's more?" Rangiku pulled back, gaping._

"_Uh-huh!" Jaedelyn giggled._

_She pulled several more outfits from her bag. She handed some of them to Rangiku and some to Gin._

_Rangiku squealed, holding up each one to her body. They were all made of fine materials and beautiful colors._

"_Thank ya, Jaedelyn," Gin murmured. He was sitting on the floor, looking through his own gifts._

"_You're welcome, Gin," she smiled down at him. "Oh—! I almost forgot!"_

"_Huh?" Rangiku stopped in the middle of a twirl, looking at her friend._

"_I brought shoes!" Jaedelyn pulled out four pair of shoes—two for Gin, and two for Rangiku._

"_Shoes…." Rangiku gasped, picking one up. She examined it, holding it like it was the most precious thing in the world. Gin was just as awestruck, though less verbal._

"_Jaedelyn, you really do live in a fairy tale," Rangiku said, smiling up at her._

"_I suppose it might seem that way," Jaedelyn shrugged._

"_Won't you tell us where you live?" Rangiku asked._

"_Not now, Rangiku," she shook her head. "Someday, though—I promise."_

"_I'll hold ya to that," Gin grinned._

_Jaedelyn giggled._

_She continued to visit her friends at least a few times a week. Her parents had been worried sick the first time she went to Rukongai—when she didn't come home until the next day, and she came home with a bandaged head. They hadn't pressed the issue, though, when she avoided their questions of where she'd been. They didn't question her when they saw her put boys' and girls' clothing in her bag, or a bag full of Kan. They didn't follow her when she left, either—aside from the first incident, she never came home any worse off than when she had left. No wounds, maybe a bit of dirt, but nothing a bath wouldn't fix._

_After a few months, she finally decided to come clean to her friends—and her parents._

"_T-the Seireitei?" Rangiku gasped when she told them where she lived._

"_That's right," she nodded. "My family has an estate there—"_

"_Makes sense," Gin murmured thoughtfully. "Why didn't ya tell us before?"_

"_I-I don't know," she sighed. "I guess because I didn't want you to think I was some rich, spoilt brat."_

"_Even though you are?" he grinned._

"_Hey! I am not! Well, ok, maybe a little," she admitted, giggling. "Anyway, um, I-I want you two to come over and meet my family."_

"_Your family? I-in the Seireitei?" Rangiku paled slightly._

"_Yeah," she nodded. "You guys are my best friends. You're part of my family, too, so I think you should meet the rest of my family."_

"_Sounds good ta me," Gin smirked._

"_Yay!" Jaedelyn squealed. "C'mon, c'mon!"_

_She bounded out of their home excitedly, leading them through Rukongai. She got them through the gates to the Seireitei and practically dragged them into her house._

_Gin and Rangiku had grown continuously more and more awed as they'd progressed through the lower Districts of Rukongai and into the Seireitei. When they finally reached the Atchison estate, their eyes were the size of saucers._

"_So that's where you've been running off to all the time," her dad chuckled when she'd introduced her parents to her friends and told them where and how she'd met them. "I was wondering why you kept leaving with overstuffed backpacks and half your allowance!"_

"_Y-you knew about that?!"_

"_Of course!" he laughed. "It's nice to finally meet the cause."_

"_Thank you for taking care of our daughter," her mother smiled softly at them from her bed. She'd been bedridden for a week._

"_She's been takin' care of us," Gin grinned. "We jus' helped her that once."_

"_That's not true," Jaedelyn argued. "I didn't really have any friends before I met you guys. Just my brothers and sisters."_

"_She's been happier these past few months," her dad nodded._

"_So much happier," her mom agreed. "We're not so worried now."_

"_You kids've helped us out, too," her dad added. "You're always welcome here."_

"_Thank you, sir," Rangiku bowed. After she elbowed him in the side, Gin followed suit._

_It soon became the norm for Gin and Rangiku to be at the Atchison Estate. They felt a bit out of place at first, but they soon adapted._

_The last time Jaedelyn had set foot past the Fifth Division of Rukongai was the day Rangiku decided to enter the academy with her friends._

* * *

Jaedelyn opened her eyes and gasped. Her gaze locked on a tall, skinny man with silver hair, narrowed eyes, and a wide, mischievous smile.

Gin?

She stood and walked toward him, then stopped.

What if it wasn't him?

No.

It was definitely him; no one else was wacko enough to walk around with an expression like that.

She slowly, silently walked up behind him.

"Gin."

He turned around; his eyes snapped opened in surprise.

She felt herself blush, as she always did when she saw his cerulean eyes; they were such a pretty color, and it was so rare to be able to see them….

"Jaedelyn."

The sound of her name jolted her from her daze.

"Hello, Gin," she smiled. "It's been awhile."

"What're ya doin' here?" He sounded wary, and her smile faded.

"Long story short, my sister's best friend wrote her, she decided she wanted to come home, there was a chain reaction and we all ended up deciding to move back."

"You're… back for good?"

"That's right—" she squeaked as he suddenly pulled her to his chest. "Gin—air—"

He released her abruptly, eyes cast down. She looked at him, smiling softly.

"I missed ya," he said.

She slid her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek; his arms wrapped around her waist.

"I missed you, too, Gin. I was worried you were still mad at me for leaving."

He pulled back slightly. Her bright purple eyes were confused as they met his icy blue ones.

Suddenly his eyes were concealed once more, and hers widened as she felt his cool lips on hers. The kiss was soft and lasted only a few seconds before he pulled away.

She lifted a hand to her lips in surprise. He opened his eyes, but didn't say anything, just looked at her.

"I guess you're not angry, then," she whispered after a few minutes of silence.

"No."

She thought for a moment.

"Did… did you ever want to do that before I left?"

"Yes."

She let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. She bit her lip, smiled, and leaned up, kissing him softly.

"Good," she whispered, pulling away.

"Why?" he asked curiously, simply because he wanted to hear it.

"Because I wanted to do that for a really, _really l_ong time!" she sighed, slightly whiney, making him chuckle.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist, leaning her head into his chest.

"I was in the middle of a walk when I saw you," she said. "If you're not busy, would you like to join me?"

"I'd love ta," he said, kissing the top of her head.

She blushed, hoping he didn't notice. She glanced up. His signature mischievous, narrow-eyed expression was back; he'd noticed.

They set off walking. He kept his arm wrapped around her, pressing her close to his side.

* * *

"Well, you look awful cozy."

Gin and Jaedelyn looked up to find Avalon grinning down at them. Avalon was close to Jaedelyn's size—5'6", compared to Jaedelyn's 5'7". She had jet-black hair with teal streaks just past her shoulders and ice-blue eyes.

"Hello, Avalon," Gin grinned his creepy grin up at her.

Avalon just grinned back, not fazed in the least by his creepiness; she was used to it. That was just Gin.

"What's up, Av?" Jaedelyn asked.

"Not much, sis. Just wandering around. Bored."

"I'm sure ya can find some trouble ta stir up," Gin chuckled. "Ya've always been good at that."

"It looks like that's what you're doing right now," another voice said from behind Avalon.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Avalon replied, turning to face her third-oldest sister.

She had pale blonde hair to her mid-back and bright blue eyes. She somehow managed to look fragile and sweet yet intimidating at the same time.

"You should leave them alone."

"She's fine, Kailyn," Jaedelyn said.

"You two look cute," Kailyn said, smiling softly. "She shouldn't interrupt you."

"Thank you," Jaedelyn giggled, "but she really is fine."

Kailyn shrugged.

"Well, I'll take her with me regardless—you know how she has a penchant for getting in trouble."

"I don' think there's anyone who could argue that," Gin said.

Avalon stuck her tongue out at him.

"On top of that, I think Cozette and Echo were looking for her—"

"I'm right here, you know!" Avalon yelled.

"Before I go though," Kailyn continued, ignoring Avalon, who groaned, "I do have a question."

"What is it, Kae?" Jaedelyn asked.

"Is this… official?" she gestured toward Jaedelyn and Gin.

"Oh, um…." Jaedelyn bit her lip and glanced at Gin, blushing.

Gin smirked and leaned down to kiss her.

"That's up ta you," he said.

"Well, don't take this too far, especially without it even being official—be responsible, Jaedelyn!" Kailyn laughed softly and started walking away. "Let's go, Avalon. I'll see you at home, Jae!"

"No glove, no love!" Avalon yelled—unnecessarily loud, of course—as she walked off with Kailyn.

"Avalon!" Jaedelyn whined, burying her head in her hands. "Not cool!"

Avalon cackled—yes, cackled. Not laughed, cackled. Maniacally.

"You're sister's… odd," Gin said.

"Yes she is. But so are you."

"But I'm sexy," he grinned.

She rolled her eyes. She reached up and pulled his eyelid up, deciding not to give a direct verbal response to his "argument".

"You have pretty eyes."

He pushed her hand away and made a face, blinking rapidly.

"Don' do that."

She giggled.

* * *

I know they got to it really quickly, but don't worry- there will be LOTS more characters and relationships!

I also realize that this was a rather long chapter. So far, this is the longest chapter I've written. Ever. So, I'm sorry if it was too long-but most of my chapters won't be this huge.


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh—Captain Hitsugaya. What brings you here?" the soda jerk asked, surprised to see the young captain in his ice cream parlor; it wasn't exactly a place Toshiro frequented.

"Captain seems to have a soft spot for this little cutie," Rangiku grinned, mussing Hunter's hair.

Toshiro glared at Rangiku; Hunter grinned; Hayden laughed hysterically.

"Toshiro and I are childhood friends," Hunter explained, coming to his aid. "I've been away for awhile and just returned today, so I'm being spoiled!" she giggled.

"You're always spoiled," Toshiro sighed.

"So you admit to having a soft spot for her?" Hayden prodded—literally, prodding Toshiro in the side, grinning.

"You're her brother, Hayden. You've seen what she's like when she doesn't get her way."

"Ahh…. That's true," Hayden chuckled. He decided to the obvious dodge slide.

"Let's look, Shiro!" Hunter grabbed Toshiro by the sleeve and tugged him over to examine the ice cream flavors.

"She's so… childlike," Rangiku commented. "I didn't expect that—Toshiro tends to hate anything childish."

"She's enthusiastic," Hayden agreed, "but she's more mature than she lets on. Toshiro knows that. She puts on an act, just like he does."

"You know her well," she observed.

"Of course. She's my baby sister."

"Hm. I think you're more mature than you let on, too."

"Hey, my immaturity is 100 percent genuine!"

"Hayden, stop flirting with Rangiku and buy me ice cream!" Hunter interrupted.

"Why can't you buy it yourself?" he asked. "You have just as much money as I do—it even comes from the same place!"

"But I want you to buy it!"

He groaned and pulled out his wallet. The issue wasn't the money—the issue was his sister.

"Hey, you didn't deny that you were flirting with Rangiku," Hunter pointed out, taking a lick from her rocky road, banana split, and strawberry ice cream cone. Hayden and Rangiku had kept it simple, with chocolate and vanilla, respectively; ice cream cones were too childish for Toshiro.

"So?" Hayden cocked an eyebrow at her, amused. "I see no reason to. And Toshiro didn't deny having a soft spot for you."

"Of course he has a soft spot for me—I'm adorable!" she tilted her head to the side, giggling.

"Of course," Hayden laughed.

"Hey, Hayden, I'm going out drinking with some buddies tonight. If you're free, you should come with us," Rangiku said.

"Kyoraku and Hisagi are both out on missions, Matsumoto," Toshiro reminded her.

"What?! Why didn't I know that?"

"Did you read your memos?"

"Uhhh…."

Toshiro just sighed.

"Oh, well—I'll bring Izuru!" She quipped. "I'm sure he's free. So, how about it?"

"Sounds good," Hayden grinned.

"You should take Toni, Hayden," Hunter suggested. "If she doesn't start socializing ASAP, she'll go crazy—and drive us crazy! Besides, I think she deserves it after all those times you dragged her along as your DD. How many times do you think she saved your drunk ass?"

"Countless," he admitted, chuckling. "You don't have to convince me, y'know. You don't mind if I bring one of my sisters along, do you, Rangiku?"

"Not a bit!" she quipped. "The more the merrier!"

She and Hayden laughed as Hunter shoved her ice cream cone in Toshiro's face; he obediently took a lick from the strawberry scoop, and Hunter smacked a big, sticky kiss on his cheek.

"Your lips are sticky," Toshiro complained, wiping at the syrup on his cheek.

"I sorry. I fix," she grinned and licked his cheek.

"Hunter!" he pushed her away gently, his cheeks tinting pink.

"What?" she giggled. She looped her arm through his, grinning up at him innocently.

He tried to glare at her, but she didn't exactly make it easy. He was more successful at glaring at Hayden and Rangiku, but neither of them was fazed; they just continued blatantly laughing at his expense.

"I'll get you back for that."

She looked up at him, surprised—he had never even threatened to 'get her back.' Even Hayden and Rangiku stopped laughing.

"What do you mean, Shiro? What are you gonna do?"

"You'll see."

"Shiro!" she groaned. "Fine."

She spent the remainder of the walk pouting and eating her ice cream cone.

"Hunter!" Hayden yelled suddenly.

"What?"

"You're about to pass our house."

"…Oh."

Hayden chuckled and opened the gate to their estate.

"Haven't been here in awhile," Toshiro murmured as they walked through the front yard and into the house.

"It hasn't changed any," Hunter said, shrugging.

"I came here a few times with Gin and Jaedelyn," Rangiku said, looking around. "It always mesmerized me. It's just as incredible as I remember it."

"Thanks," Hayden grinned, "not that we can really take any credit for it."

"Welcome home," a soft voice said.

A girl came into the room. She had blue eyes and brown hair with a single blue streak that fell to her hips in soft waves. She wore a dark blue knee-length skirt and a pale pink top. Her eyes were warm and friendly, as was her smile. She was about Rangiku's height—about 5'8".

"Hey, Brookie!" Hunter chirped. "Did you remember to take your medicine?"

"Sure did!" she smiled, then turned to Toshiro. "Hey, Toshiro. How've you been?"

"I've been well, Brook. You? How are you feeling?"

"Good. I've been doing much better. I think we finally found the combination that'll work for me."

"That's good."

"Yes." She turned to Rangiku. "Ah, I'm sorry—I should've introduced myself first. I'm Brooklyn Atchison."

"Rangiku Matsumoto. Lieutenant, 10th Division."

"Ah, I remember you—Jaedelyn's friend. So you work with Toshiro now."

"That's right."

"I hope he doesn't push you too hard."

"Nah—he tries, but I get my breaks."

"You mean you run away," he grumbled.

Rangiku shrugged, grinning.

"Hey, Brookie, do you know where Toni is? Rangiku and I were gonna take her out with us."

"I think she's in her r—"

Hayden was halfway up the stairs before Brooklyn could finish her sentence.

"You look cute, Brookie," Hunter said. "You going out?"

"Thank, Hun. Just for a walk."

"Awful dressed up for a walk," Hunter teased.

"Well, since we've just come back, I thought I'd look nice in case I run into anyone important."

"Or cute?"

"Yes, or cute," Brook laughed. "Anyway, I'm off. Don't burn down the house while I'm out."

"We won't!" Hunter chirped. "We might freeze it, though."

"As long as it's still standing!" Brook laughed again, walking out.

"Be careful!" Hunter called after her.

Hayden came down the stairs just after Brooklyn left.

"Brook go out?"

"Yeah, she went for a walk. Where's Aniston?" Hunter asked.

"She said she has to get ready. It might be awhile," he sighed.

"Why don't I give you the address, I'll go and get Izuru, and you can meet us there?" Rangiku suggested.

"Sounds good. Hunter, do you have—ah, thanks," he took the paper and pen from Hunter and wrote down the name and address of the bar. "Why don't we plan for an hour from now?"

"Ok, I'll see you in an hour. Bye, Hunter!" she mussed Hunter's hair and left.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please review/PM! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Brooklyn sighed as she walked through the Seireitei; it was so beautiful. She had missed it. She found herself near the squad 13 barracks, next to a pond. She peered down into the water; there were koi fish swimming around.

Across the pond, a white-haired man was feeding the koi. She looked around, spotting a dispenser nearby. She grinned, retrieved a handful of fish food, and started tossing pieces into the water. As she fed the fish, she looked back at the man.

She couldn't see him in detail, because of the distance, but she could see that he was tall and thin. He was rather young, too—not extremely young, but unusually young for having such snow-white hair. Then again, Shiro had been born with hair that shade, so perhaps it wasn't as peculiar as it seemed. It was certainly uncommon, though, and piqued her curiosity.

She gasped as a sharp pain shot through her head. Her hands flew to her head, sending the remainder of the fish food flying into the pond. She fell to her knees, clutching her head and squeezing her eyes shut. It felt like her head was being split open, like knives being plunged through her skull. The darkness offered some relief-it was minimal, but she would take what she could get.

"Are you ok?"

She looked up, squinting her eyes open just enough to see who was talking to her; it was the white-haired man. She nodded weakly, despite knowing that her lie was completely transparent.

"Let's get you to the fourth division. They'll fix you up."

He gently scooped her into his arms and shunpoed in the direction of Fourth Division. She whimpered softly, burying her face into his chest. There was something comforting about this man—something beyond the comfort of receiving help, of not being alone. He was warm, and gentle. His very essence, his aura, radiated kindness and caring. She didn't even know who this man was—she didn't even know his name!—but she felt perfectly safe in his arms.

"Captain Ukitake—! What happened?" a feminine voice asked. She heard the click of a door closing.

Captain? She hadn't seen that one coming. At least she knew his name now—well, his last name. It was a start.

"I saw her collapse. She was clutching her head."

"Who is she? I've never seen her before."

"I don't—" he stopped mid-sentence when Brook tugged on his shirt.

"Brook," she whispered. "I'm… Brooklyn Atchison."

"Brooklyn Atchison," he repeated.

"Ok, well, let's bring her in here."

She felt herself being lowered down onto a bed. A soft whimper escaped her lips at the sudden loss of warmth. She felt a soft hand on her forehead.

"Don't worry, Brooklyn," the girl said. "You're in good hands."

"Brookie—! Oh, Brookie, I thought it was you!" a familiar voice exclaimed—Capri. "I saw you get carried in here and I was so worried!"

Brooklyn peeked through her lashes at her little sister, standing by the bed. Her bubblegum pink hair was pulled into a side pony; the bangs were straightened, framing her face, while the rest of her hair remained in loose curls. Her candy-apple green eyes were bright and lively, as always, but worried.

"I'm fine," she whispered.

"Is it your head?" Capri asked, taking Brook's hand. She turned to the nurse to explain. "She suffers from migraines. It runs in our family—oh, I'm her sister—but hers are the worst. She just needs some painkillers and a nap."

"Ah, that's so good to know! I'll get those right to you," the nurse smiled and hurried out of the room.

"So, who's your knight in shining armor, Brookie?" Capri asked, looking at the captain with a grin.

"I'm Jushiro Ukitake, captain of the 13th Division."

"Capri Atchison. Thank you for taking care of my sister. She's always taking care of everyone else, so it's nice to see her get the same treatment."

"It was my pleasure," he said, smiling softly. He sounded sincere.

"All right, Brooklyn, here you go," the nurse walked back in with pills and a glass of water. She helped Brook take the pills and smiled. "You'll be better in no time. Get some rest."

She left the room.

"Brookie, I've gotta go meet Avalon—we're doing some final practicing before our exams tomorrow. I'll be back in a few hours," Capri kissed Brook's cheek and turned to leave. "Have a nice nap!"

* * *

"Omigosh—Rangiku!"

"Huh? Ah—Jaedelyn! Hey!"

Jaedelyn threw her arms around her childhood friend, squealing excitedly.

"What are you doing hanging around Third Division?" Rangiku asked.

"Oh, I'm just waiting for Gin. What about you?"

"Kidnapping Izuru—Gin's lieutenant," she grinned.

Jaedelyn laughed.

"What for?" she asked.

"I need someone to go drinking with me and Hayden. My usual drinking buddies are out on missions, and Izuru doesn't really do much, so I figured he'd be the most likely to be free. I've dragged him along a few times. He's not very social, but he's not bad company."

"I see," Jaedelyn laughed again. "So you met up with Hayden today?"

"Yep! Hunter was in the 10th Division office looking for Toshiro—I'm his lieutenant—and Hayden wandered in pretty soon after. I didn't even realize who they were at first! Oh, hey, looks like Gin's coming out—"

Gin walked out the door and immediately pulled Jaedelyn into a short but passionate kiss. When he pulled away, Jaedelyn was blushing intensely. He smirked; she glared at him and pushed him away. He chuckled and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her back to him. She relented, smiling softly.

"Well, that was quite the show."

"Hello, Rangiku," Gin said, unfazed.

"It does explain the little black dress, though," Rangiku laughed, amused. "Is Izuru still here?"

"Yea', he should still be at 'is desk."

"Great. Thanks, Gin. Have fun, you two!" she grinned as she ran inside.

"Whadda ya think of that idea?" he whispered seductively in Jaedelyn's ear.

"Gin…."

"I'm jus' teasin' ya, Jaed," he chuckled. "Dinner?"

"Dinner sounds great." She smiled up at him, visibly relieved.

* * *

"Oh… Still asleep…." Capri leaned against the doorframe, watching Brook sleep. "Have you been here the entire time?"

"I have," Ukitake smiled kindly up at her from his seat.

"I wish I had your patience," Capri laughed. "Since I don't, I'm gonna bounce outta here. If it's not too much trouble, could you tell her I came back and make sure she gets home ok?"

"Of course."

"Thank you so much. I'll see ya later, Captain!" she waved goodbye and skipped out of the room.

Brook groaned and stretched, rubbing an eye sleepily.

"You just missed Capri."

She gasped and whipped her head around.

"C-Captain!"

"Did I startle you? I apologize."

"O-oh, no, it's fine! I just didn't expect you to be here," she blushed, smiling sheepishly.

"I see," he chuckled. "Well, I didn't want to leave you alone. Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, much, thank you."

"Good, good. Would you like to get some tea with me?"

"Oh—um, ok, that sounds nice," she smiled shyly and followed him out of the room.

He informed the nurse that she was leaving with him and led her to a small café a few streets away. They sat at a small table in a corner. A waitress hurried over to take their orders, then bustled away.

"You seem a bit familiar to me, but I don't recall actually seeing you around here," he said curiously.

"Well, I'm from here initially, but I've been in the world of the living for quite awhile. There aren't many people here that I know," she explained.

"Ah, that explains it. If you don't mind me asking, what made you decide to come back?"

"My little sister. Her best friend wrote her, asking her to come back. She missed him a lot, so it didn't take much to convince her."

"And you just followed her?"

"Yes. Most of us did—we have a rather large family. There are seventeen girls and five boys."

"That's certainly a large family."

"Yep. It's crazy sometimes, but it wouldn't be right if there were any less of us. We're all really close. Two of my sisters stayed. They've been in the world of the living since Kisuke Urahara was banished there, though, so it was no surprise."

"You must miss them."

"Of course," she nodded. "But Kirstin is capable of taking care of herself and Elora. My mother was very sick when I was young, so we older siblings had to help take care of the younger ones. Even though none of them are particularly young now, I still feel like it's my responsibility to care for them."

"I see," he smiled.

"Well, what about you?" she asked. "Tell me about yourself."

"I'm afraid there's not much to tell," he chuckled. "I'm the captain of the 13th division. My favorite food is ohagi. I enjoy feeding the koi fish in the garden and trimming the bonsai. I have five younger brothers and two younger sisters."

"That's not a particularly small family, either," she smiled.

"No, I suppose not," he chuckled.

"How long have you been a captain?"

"Oh, a bit over 200 years—" he broke off suddenly, coughing into a handkerchief.

He quickly slipped it back into his pocket, but Brooklyn caught a glimpse of red staining it.

"And you cough up blood," she arched an eyebrow at him.

"Occasionally, yes," he said lightly.

"How serious is it?"

"It's not life-threatening, merely an inconvenience."

"That's good," she smiled. "I was worried."

"There's no need," he assured her. "Well, I told you what I like to do—now it's your turn."

"What I like to do? Hmm…. Well, I also like trimming bonsai. And arranging flowers. I like to cook and bake—I particularly like to see people enjoy what I make. I also enjoy drawing and writing-mostly poetry and fiction. And I love to go for walks when the weather is nice."

They spent a few hours in the café, sipping tea and chatting. He was easy to talk to; she enjoyed his company immensely.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey! Rangiku!" Hayden called, running up to the strawberry-blonde. She was standing outside the bar with a blonde man, who he assumed was Izuru.

"You made it," she grinned.

"Of course," he grinned back, then turned to the man. "Hey, I'm Hayden Atchison. Oh, and this is my sister, Aniston."

"Nice to meet you!" Aniston chirped. She had dark purple hair with a few light blue streaks. It fell just past her shoulders, and her long, purposely-uneven bangs framed her blue-green eyes, nearly covering them. She was wearing a flowy black skirt that fell to her mid-thigh, a tight, low-cut black tank top, and black low tops. She also wore black fingerless gloves and a black choker with a purple heart charm. Her earrings were silver skull posts.

"I'm Rangiku Matsumoto, and this is Izuru Kira," Rangiku grinned.

Izuru shuffled uncomfortably, staring down at the ground.

"All right, let's party!" Rangiku cheered, leading them to the bar.

Rangiku sat on a stool. Hayden sat next to her, Aniston on the other side of Hayden, and Izuru on the other side of Aniston. Aniston turned to Izuru as the bartender served their drinks.

"This isn't really your thing, is it?" she asked.

"No."

She looked at him curiously, swirling her drink.

"You're not the social type," she observed. "It's obvious, so I'm sure Rangiku knows—she shouldn't have made you come."

"I don't really mind," he shrugged, staring down at the counter. "Her friends aren't here.."

"She would've been fine," Aniston sighed. "Well, if you get too uncomfortable, you can always leave. I'll come with you if you like—I'll just have to come back for my likely-to-be-drunk brother."

"Thank you," he said softly.

"No problem!" she grinned. "So, tell me about yourself. What division are you in?"

"Third."

"Oh, with Gin?"

He nodded.

"He's an interesting person," she chuckled. "I've known him most of my life—he and Rangiku were always hanging out with my sister."

"I'm his Lieutenant."

"Oh, wow—so you must spend a lot of time with him. Does he drive you crazy?"

"No. He's well-liked in our division."

"Hm, I suppose that does make sense…. He's certainly charismatic!" she laughed. "Well, what do you like to do?"

"Mm…. Write."

"What do you write?" she prodded.

"Haiku. Fiction."

"I love haikus," she smiled. "There's always an air of mystery, because there's no room for explanation. I love that."

"Mm," he nodded.

"Is there anything else you like to do?"

He thought for a moment before answering.

"…. Cat's cradle."

"Ooh, fun," she grinned. "I messed around with it a bit when I was young, but I didn't get very far. Umm…. Tell me about your family."

"I'm an only child. My parents died when I was young."

"Oh…. I'm sorry, Izuru."

He shrugged.

"I sort of know how you feel. I mean, not entirely, but… My mom died when I was young, too. Dad… his presence has been sporadic since she's been gone. He loves us, but he's been so torn up…. My older sisters gave most of the caregiving."

He looked up, meeting her eyes for the first time that night. She blinked; his eyes—well, the one she could see—were a soft, dark blue. She smiled, and was rewarded with a tentative smile from him.

"I'm sorry," he said.

She was surprised to feel her heart rate speed up and butterflies in her stomach. She brushed the feelings aside.

"It's nothing compared to what it must've been like for you. I had my siblings, and Dad was around sometimes. You… you were all alone…."

"I don't mind being alone," he said, shrugging nonchalantly, going back to staring at the table.

"Even the most antisocial people need someone, Izuru."

He didn't reply. She sighed.

"Mm… Izuru?"

"Yeah?"

"Mm…. Tell me a haiku?" she asked.

He looked up at her, surprised, and she smiled hopefully at him. He smiled slightly and sighed.

"Ok…" He closed his eyes, thinking. "I hear crackling, crunch, of today's new found day. And I know it won't last. So I will leave it at bay, and hope for the best, this bitter new day."*

"Wow—a double haiku. I love it. I always have a hard time getting the right number of syllables…. Did you just make that up on the spot?"

He nodded.

"Wow. That's amazing."

"Thanks…." he mumbled, blushing slightly.

"Dance with me, Izuru."

"W-what?" he looked up at her, stunned.

"Dance with me!" she repeated, grinning.

"I-I don't dance—"

"Pleeeeease?" she begged, leaning toward him with a pout.

"I-I don't know how…."

"So? I don't care! Please, Izuru?" she grabbed his hands, looking up at him pleadingly.

"Nnn…. Ok…." He hesitantly agreed.

"Yay!" she jumped up excitedly, dragging him toward the dance floor.

She stopped in a random spot in the crowd and turned toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He blushed and hesitantly wrapped his arms around her waist. She swayed back and forth to the music, grinning up at him. He looked around nervously. She put her hand on his cheek and turned his head toward her. She smiled reassuringly at him, still moving to the music. He gasped as her hips grazed his; she grinned and repeated the movement.

"Aniston—"

"What?" she asked innocently.

He hesitated.

"Nn…. Nothing…."

She giggled and pressed her body up against his. He stiffened, blushing.

"Do you want me to stop?" she whispered in his ear, grinding her hips into his.

"I-I…."

"I will if you want me to," she whispered, twirling a strand of his hair around her finger.

"I-I…. I don't…. I…. Aniston…." he stammered, his blush darkening.

Aniston sighed and started to pull away.

"I'm sorry—" she cut off; his arms were tight around her waist, preventing her from moving away from his body. "Izuru…."

"S-Sorry—" he released her, jerking his arms behind his back. He shuffled nervously, avoiding eye contact with her.

"Izuru…."

He didn't reply.

"Izuru!" she turned his face toward her.

She smiled softly, stroking his cheek with her thumb.

"It's ok," she whispered, sliding her arms around his neck. "You don't need to apologize. It's ok."

She laid her head on his shoulder. His arms slid back around her waist.

"Do you want to sit down?"

He nodded.

"Ok. C'mon," she pulled away from the embrace. She took his hand in hers and led him back to their seats.

"You shouldn't play with your food, Toni," Hayden teased, grinning.

"Izuru is _not_ food, Hayden," she said firmly.

"Then why did it look like you were preying on him back there?"

"Shut up, Hayden," she growled.

"I'm just saying," he continued, "you're like a cheetah and he's the elk and you were just toying with him before going in for the kill, playing with your—"

He cut off in mid-sentence when Aniston dumped her drink over his head.

"Oook, too far," he chuckled, wiping his face. "Sorry, Toni."

"Uh-huh."

"Oh, c'mon, Toni. You know I'm just messing around! Forgive me?"

"Buy me another drink," she said, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.

"You name it."

"Mmm…. Sex on the beach!" she cheered, throwing her fist in the air enthusiastically.

"You would," Hayden laughed, shaking his head. "Do you even know what's in that?"

"No idea! But I like the name," she grinned.

"Of course you do…." Hayden sighed and called the bartender over.

"You ok?" Aniston asked, turning to Izuru.

He nodded.

"I'm sorry, Izuru," she sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"It's ok."

"I'm really sorry, Izuru. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"It's ok," he repeated. "I…." he hesitated, then mumbled something under his breath.

"What?"

"…. Nothing…."

"C'mon, Izuru—I know you said something! Tell me what you said!"

"I didn't—"

"Please, Izuru! Tell me!" she grabbed his arm, looking up at him with that damn pout again.

He sighed. She leaned in close so she could hear.

"I…. I… kind of enjoyed it," he murmured, looking away.

She barely heard him—but she did.

"O-oh," she blinked, blushing. "Well… that's good…."

"Y-yeah…."

"I really am glad, though," she said softly.

"Hey, Toni," Hayden interrupted, "I think I better get Rangiku home—she's pretty wasted."

"How 'bout you?" she asked. "Are you ok to get her there by yourself?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I haven't had much to drink at all," he turned to Izuru. "I can trust you to get my sister home safe, right, Kira?"

"Of course," Izuru nodded.

"Great! See ya 'round, dude. Toni, don't traumatize him too much, k?"

"I'll try."

Hayden laughed, mussed Aniston's hair—earning him a glare—and left, supporting a highly intoxicated Rangiku.

"Wow, she is _wasted_," Aniston laughed.

"It usually takes her awhile to get that far gone…." Izuru mused.

"Well, we've been here for a couple hours…. You wanna bounce?"

"Bounce?" he looked at her curiously.

"Yes, bounce. As in leave. Don't judge me!" she buried her face in her hands, giggling.

"Uh, ok. What do you want to do?"

"I dunno," she shrugged. "We could just walk around and do whatever comes to mind."

"Ok."

She took another sip of her drink and stood up.

"Let's go!" she chirped.

They were about halfway to the door when someone slammed into her, spinning her around. When she regained her footing, Izuru was out of sight.

"Izuru?" she shouted, cursing the volume of the crowd. "Izuru!"

"Hey, babe, wanna dance?" an obviously drunk man approached her. His red hair stuck to his sweaty face, his brown eyes unfocused.

"No, thank you," she said politely, looking around.

"C'mon, babe, dance with us," another wasted man came up, leering at her. This one was blond, but just as sweaty.

"No, thanks, really—I'm looking for someone."

"We insist," a third man—a brunette—appeared, wrapping an arm around her. He was sweaty and drunk, just like his friends.

"H-hey—"

"You're a cutie," the redhead laughed, running his fingers through her hair.

"Stop that—"

"Very cute," the blond agreed, touching her face.

"Don't touch me—"

"Come play with us," the brunette growled, grabbing her ass.

She shrieked. The first two held her while the brunette continued to paw at her breasts and skirt. Suddenly, her attacker was flung away, crashing to the floor. Her two captors followed shortly after. She sunk to the ground, stunned.

"Hands off," Izuru growled.

"L-Lieutenant!" the brunette stammered.

"She's with you?" the blond asked dazedly.

"We didn't know!" the redhead whimpered.

"Have mercy!" they all cried, bowing dramatically.

Izuru fumed, looking ready to kill all three of them. His hand moved toward his Zanpakuto, stopping halfway there when Aniston tugged on his pant leg.

"I just want to leave," she whispered, dully noting how quiet the bar had suddenly become.

Izuru took a deep breath and nodded. He picked her up and carried her out of the bar, sending a fierce glare at the offenders. He walked to a nearby park, setting her down on a bench.

"Are you ok?" he asked, sitting next to her.

"Yes," she whispered, pulling her knees to her chest. "Thank you, Izuru."

"For what?"

"Saving me."

"Oh…. Well, I had to—I promised your brother I'd get you home safe. And… it pissed me off when I saw them bothering you," he admitted.

"Well, no matter the reason, thank you," she repeated, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Anytime. So… do you want me to take you home?"

"No," she shook her head.

"You sure? You seem pretty shaken up. It's probably best if—"

"I want to stay with you," she interrupted. "Please, Izuru. I… I feel safe with you. Please…."

"Ok," he sighed. "What do you want to do, then?"

"I don't know…. Can we just stay here for a bit?"

"Ok."

She smiled up at him, then slid down on the bench, laying her head in his lap. He tensed, unused to being so up close and personal.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"Y-yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."

"Ok," she sighed, taking his hand and lacing their fingers together.

* * *

"C'mon, Rangiku," Hayden sighed, trying to get the woman inside her room.

She wasn't making it easy. She was giggling and swaying and kept trying to walk away in different directions—every direction but the one he _wanted _her to go in.

He finally succeeded in getting her through her door. She grabbed his sleeve, pulling him in after her.

"C'mon, Hayden," she giggled. "Come insi~ide, let's have some funn!"

"Rangiku, you're drunk!" he groaned.

"Nah! I'm fine!" she laughed.

"C'mon, Rangiku—it's time to go to sleep."

"But I don't wanna!" she pouted.

"Sleep," he demanded, pushing her down on the bed.

He turned to leave, stopping mid-step when he felt her tug on his sleeve again.

"Stay," she plead. "Lay with me."

"No, Rangiku," he sighed. "Not tonight. If you want to have a sleepover when you're sober, then we'll see."

"Promise?"

"Of course," he smiled softly. "Good night, Rangiku."

He slipped from her grasp and left, sighing.

At least she was a happy drunk….

* * *

"Aniston…. Aniston."

Aniston groaned, covering her eyes with her arm.

"Aniston, wake up."

Aniston groaned again, opening one eye groggily. She peered up at Izuru blankly, trying to process where she was and what was going on.

Izuru looked down at the sleepy girl laying in his lap, absentmindedly playing with her hair. It was really soft….

"Hey, Izuru," Aniston murmured, yawning.

She gave him a sleepy smile. He smiled shyly back at her, blushing lightly.

"Mm, you're cute," she giggled, sitting up and stretching.

She looked back to find him blushing intensely, looking away. She laughed again and plopped her head back in his lap, making him jump and jerk his gaze back to her.

"What?" she asked innocently, suppressing a grin.

"N-nothing!" he stammered, still staring down at her with wide eyes and a red face.

She giggled again and rolled off his lap, landing on her butt in the grass. She grinned and held her hands out expectantly. He stood and obediently helped her up.

"We should get you home," he said softly, shuffling from foot to foot.

"Aw," she pouted.

"W-what?"

"Nothing," she grinned, looping her arm through his. "Let's go."

* * *

"Toni's here! And she brought a _bo-oy_!" Avalon yelled, laughing, adding the second bit in a sing-song voice.

"That I did," Aniston grinned. "And, might I add, it's about time you two got together!"

She pointed an accusatory finger at Jaedelyn and Gin, who were cuddling on a couch. She and Izuru had walked in to find them in mid-kiss. Jaedelyn giggled happily, nuzzling into Gin's neck; Gin's smirk widened slightly, his arm tightening around Jaedelyn's waist.

Gin's grin widened further when he saw Izuru standing next to Aniston.

"Hello, Izuru," he chuckled.

"Hello, Captain Ichimaru," Izuru said respectfully.

"You know him, Gin?" Capri asked curiously.

"Izuru is Gin's lieutenant," Aniston answered for Gin.

"Cool!"

"You two hittin' it off?" Gin asked, thoroughly enjoying the deep blush that spread across his lieutenant's face.

"Gin! Be nice!" Jaedelyn scolded, smacking his chest.

Gin just laughed.

"Is he always this mean to you, Izuru?" Avalon asked, grinning.

"N-no, not at all!" Izuru stammered.

Avalon's grin widened as she looked at Aniston.

"I approve."

"Thanks, Av," Aniston laughed.

"Seriously, so adorable!" Avalon giggled.

"I know, right?!"

"Hell yeah!" Avalon nodded enthusiastically.

"I think you're embarrassing him, Avalon," Jaedelyn said, giving Izuru a sympathetic smile.

"Sorry, Izuru," Avalon attempted to hide her grin, but failed miserably, letting out a giggle.

"C'mon, Izuru, I won't subject you to more of their torture—we can go to my room," Aniston grabbed his hand and lead him to the stairs.

"No glove, no love!" Avalon called after them.

"Tell that to Jaedelyn!" Aniston called back, laughing.

"I already did!" Avalon laughed.

"Don't remind me," Jaedelyn rolled her eyes. "You just shout it out to the world! What is it, your catch phrase?"

"No—but I think it'd be a pretty good one!" Avalon giggled.

Jaedelyn just gave her a 'WTF?' look.

"I think it's funny—and good advice!" Capri agreed.

"Why me?" Jaedelyn groaned.

"You know you love us!" they chimed, grinning.

"I have no choice," she sighed, hanging her head dejectedly.

Gin laughed, tilted her head toward him, and pressed his lips to hers. She kissed back eagerly, wrapping an arm around his neck.

"Ew, get a room!" Avalon squealed, throwing a pillow at them and making Jaedelyn squeal.

"And on that note, _I'm_ going to _my _room," Capri rolled her eyes and left, laughing.

"Don't you two do anything _other _than make out?!" Avalon asked.

"Of course," Jaedelyn replied. "We went out to dinner today."

"Did you get through the entire meal without sticking your tongues down each others' throats?"

"Yep!"

"What an accomplishment," Avalon said dryly.

* * *

"You're gonna come watch tomorrow, right, Shiro?" Hunter asked, looking at her friend hopefully.

"Of course," Toshiro looked at her like she was crazy to even ask such a silly question.

"Good," she smiled.

"I should get home," Toshiro said, moving to go back in through Hunter's bedroom window.

"No—don't go! Please!" she grabbed his wrist, frowning.

"I have to work tomorrow, Hunter," he sighed. "You should get some sleep, too—you need to be at your best tomorrow."

"Stay with me, then," she begged. "Just like when we were kids—"

"We're not kids, Hunter," he reminded her.

"So? Please!"

He sighed.

"Please, Shiro?"

"Ok," he relented. "I'll stay—but we have to go to bed."

"Yay!" she giggled, pulling him into her room.

Toshiro sat on her bed while she ran into her bathroom to get dressed. She returned minutes later, wearing rather short black shorts and a rather revealing blue tank top. He looked away, flushing slightly.

"What's wrong, Shiro?" she asked, completely oblivious.

"Nothing," he replied, laying down and facing away from her.

She caught a glimpse of the blush on his face. She glanced down, confused. Suddenly it dawned on her; she was pretty sure she knew why he was uncomfortable. She giggled and walked over, lying down next to him so that he was facing her again.

"Should I put something else on?" she asked, amused.

"No," he mumbled, burying his head in the pillow.

She giggled and wrapped her arm around his waist, cuddling up to him. He sighed and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer.

"Night, Shiro," she murmured.

"Night, Hunter," he whispered, leaning his head on top of hers. Her hair smelled like watermelon—she always smelled like watermelon, ever since they were kids. There was another scent mixed in now, though—a soft, sweet perfume smell. It didn't mask the watermelon; it just mixed with it, giving her scent a more grown-up aspect.

He liked it. The watermelon scent made him feel nostalgic, while the perfume reminded him that the girl in his arms really was more grown up than she let on.

To Hunter, Toshiro smelled exactly the same as he had growing up—like soap. Nothing fancy, just the crisp, clean scent of soap. He was taller and older, but he was still her Shiro.

Perfect.

* * *

"Hey, guys!" a voice chirped.

Gin, Avalon and Jaedelyn looked up to see Avalon's twin, Nevaeh, walking in, followed by Cozette.

Nevaeh had deep purple hair with thin electric blue streaks that fell in waves to her hips. Her eyes were also electric blue. She was one of the shorter siblings, at 5'4".

Cozette was an inch shorter than Nevaeh. She had black and blonde hair just past her shoulders and mismatched eyes—one blue, one green.

"How'd training go?" Avalon asked.

"It went really well!" Nevaeh grinned, plopping down in an armchair. "Cozette's fighting is getting pretty intense—and her healing is incredible!"

"It would've been better if you were there, Avi," Cozette said, sitting in Avalon's lap.

"I'm sorry, Zet," Avalon hugged her second-youngest sister. "I promised I'd help Capri, and she totally wore me out."

"I know. It's ok," Cozette smiled up at Avalon.

"I see you two finally got your heads on straight," Nevaeh laughed, seeing Jaedelyn lean up and kiss Gin. "It's about time! You guys are cute."

"Not when you've had to watch them make out for hours on end!" Avalon made a face.

"You could just leave," Nevaeh pointed out.

"I was here first!"

"Then suck it up," Nevaeh shrugged, amused.

Avalon stuck her tongue out at her twin.

Gin leaned down and whispered something in Jaedelyn's ear. She blushed and giggled.

"Seriously, get a room!" Avalon groaned

"Tha's what I was jus' suggestin'," Gin smirked, making Jaedelyn's blush darken.

"Gross, but better than making people watch."

"Don't worry, Jaed, I can heal your hickies," Cozette giggled, making Avalon and Nevaeh crack up.

"Well, she's right," Nevaeh laughed. "She could do that in her sleep."

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Jaedelyn rolled her eyes, rising from her spot on the couch.

"Going somewhere?" Avalon grinned wickedly.

"Yeah, away from you!" she stuck her tongue out at her. "C'mon, Gin."

"I think I like where this is goin'," he chuckled, wrapping an arm around her and walking with her toward the stairs.

She glared lightly at him.

"No glove—"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Avalon!" Jaedelyn called from halfway up the stairs.

Avalon giggled.


	6. Chapter 6

"You can put your Zanpakuto on the couch," Aniston said, shutting the door behind Izuru.

"'Kay," Izuru mumbled, setting down Wabisuke on the black leather couch.

The couch was on one of two raised platforms in the large room, along with a few chairs and a coffee table. The other platform held her bed, which was covered with fluffy black and purple blankets and pillows.

Aniston studied him silently, hands on her hips. He was standing awkwardly by the couch. He shuffled awkwardly under her gaze, and she sighed, shaking her head. It was kind of amusing.

She walked over to him, grabbed his hand, and pulled him over to the other platform.

"Sit," she commanded, pushing him down onto the bed. She walked around to the other side of the bed and lay down, stretching out on her back.

He watched her, sitting tensely on the edge of the bed.

"Relax, Izuru," she sighed. "I don't bite."

She grabbed his sleeve and tugged on it. He reluctantly leaned back, lying beside her. He was still tense, but it was a start.

"Relax," she repeated softly.

Izuru closed his eyes and took a deep breath, consciously relaxing each muscle in his body.

"Y'ok?" she asked.

"Mm," he nodded slightly.

"Good. Soo… what should we talk about?"

"I don't know," he opened his eyes and glanced at her. She'd rolled over onto her stomach and was looking up at him through her eyelashes.

"Hmm…. What's your Zanpakuto's name?" she asked.

"Wabisuke."

"The wretched one."

"Yes. What's yours?"

"Her name is Amaterasu."

"Shining heavens?"

She nodded. He studied her for a moment, thinking.

"Sounds fitting," he finally said.

"How so?" she cocked her head curiously.

"Um…. I dunno, 'cause… you have a bright personality…?" he scratched his cheek nervously.

She giggled. He was too cute.

"If you come to my exam tomorrow, you can see her in action," she said, sounding hopeful.

"Do you want me to come?"

She nodded emphatically.

"Ok. Then I'll come."

"Yay!" she giggled. "I'm glad. I'm kinda nervous."

"Why?"

"Because I have no idea what to expect," she frowned. "Uncle Yamamoto just said that we would have to demonstrate our skills—he never actually told us what we'd be doing."

"Oh. Wait—Uncle?"

"Yeah, he's like my great-great-uncle or whatever," she waved a hand nonchalantly, then grinned. "How do you think we were able to get permission to stay in the world of the living for so long? Some of my family is still there!"

"Oh…. I guess that makes sense…."

* * *

"Eek—Gin!" Jaedelyn giggled as Gin pushed her onto her bed.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"You're a goof," she grinned, pulling him in for a kiss.

"Mm…. I'm ok with that," he mumbled against her lips.

He bit her lip, sliding his tongue in when she gasped. She slid her fingers into his hair and tugged gently, making him groan. He ran his hand down her side as his tongue rubbed against hers, his other arm resting by her head, keeping him propped up slightly. His fingers slipped under the hem of her shirt, ghosting over her stomach and hips. She moaned softly, loving the way his cool fingertips felt against her heated flesh.

* * *

"So, you'll come watch my exam tomorrow, right?" Brooklyn asked, smiling up at Jushiro.

"Of course," he nodded.

"Great. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Mm-hm, tomorrow. Good night, Brooklyn," he said softly, smiling down at her.

"Good night… Jushiro," she stepped backwards into her house and watched as he walked away. Once he was out of sight, she closed and locked the door. She slid down to the floor, sighing softly.

"You ok, Brookie?" Capri came down the stairs.

"Yes, I'm fine," Brook assured her, standing.

"Have a good time with Captain Ukitake?" Capri asked, grinning.

"Mm-hm. We had tea and talked."

"I see…."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"What?" Brook pressed.

"Nothing!" Capri laughed.

"Tell me!" Brook pled, grabbing her sister.

"You like him," Capri stated. It wasn't a question.

"Oh…. Well…. Yes, I suppose I do…." Brook blushed, biting her lip.

"He's nice," Capri smiled.

"He is."

"Well, I approve!" Capri chirped.

"Thanks," Brook laughed. "I was just killing myself wondering if you'd approve."

"I thought so—you're welcome! Night, Brookie."

"Night, Capri."

"Oh—you might want to avoid Hunter's, Jaedelyn's, and Aniston's rooms; they have… _guests_," Capri giggled.

"Guests?" Brook cocked an eyebrow curiously.

"Yep! Jaedelyn and Gin are almost certainly making out—they got together today, and, well, Gin's not exactly shy. And, of course, Jaedelyn's not likely to resist," Capri grinned.

Brook chuckled lightly; that was certainly true.

"Hunter's got Toshiro in her room," Capri continued. "They may not be together, but you never know what might happen. They're too stubborn to admit it, but the sexual tension between them is totally obvious."

Again, certainly true. Hunter's personality allowed her to flirt with her friend without it being suspicious, and Toshiro was impressive when it came to hiding his emotions, but it was obvious to those who had seen them together from a young age.

"Right, so they've got their long-time best friends in their rooms, who they just happen to be madly in love with. But what about Aniston?" Brook asked. "She's always had plenty of friends, and plenty of them have been guys—but she's never seemed particularly interested in any of them."

"Ah, now that's the most interesting of all," Capri grinned deviously.

"Spill."

"She brought Gin's lieutenant home!" Capri squealed.

"His lieutenant?"

"Yep! His name is Izuru Kira. He's really quiet, but he seems nice enough. I don't think he's likely to make a move—especially considering they just met—but you never know what Toni might do, and he doesn't seem like he'd be very successful at saying no to her…."

"Hmm…. They just met today? And she's already got him in her bedroom…." Brook mused thoughtfully.

"I know, sounds scandalous, doesn't it?" Capri giggled.

"It does," Brook agreed, "but Aniston won't let it go too far. She's certainly not shy, but she wouldn't move that fast."

"Yeah, I know," Capri nodded, "but it's still something to tease her about!"

"That it is," Brook laughed.

"Yep! Well, now that I think about it, I don't actually know 100% if he's still here—I was in my room for a while," Capri admitted. "I think I heard them talking on my way down but it was really muted. But I definitely heard Toshiro and Hunter talking, and I passed Jaedelyn and Gin going up while I was coming down. So I know they're here."

"Thanks for the warning, Capri," Brook grinned. "I'll be especially careful to avoid Jaedelyn's room"

"Welcome! Yeah, I'd be surprised if they're _not _making out," she made a face, turning to go back up to her room.

Brook laughed and settled into an armchair, gazing out the window at the stars. Her thoughts were sprinkled with musings of her sisters' romantic escapades—or disappointing yet amusing lack thereof, in Hunter's case—but they were dominated by Jushiro. She'd never met a guy quite like him. He was a bit odd, but so sweet…. She sighed happily. She couldn't wait to see him again.

And she didn't care one bit if she was acting like a love-struck schoolgirl.

* * *

"Gin, stop. Gin—"

Gin groaned and pushed himself up, looking down at Jaedelyn with a disgruntled expression. He wasn't happy about being told to stop so soon—he'd barely gotten her top off—but he obeyed regardless.

"Wha's wrong?" he sighed.

"I need to go to bed—I have my exam tomorrow."

"A'right, a'right," he sighed again, lying down beside her.

She smiled, pecked his cheek, and rolled off the bed. She grabbed some clothes from her dresser and stepped into her bathroom, coming out a minute later in black hot pants and a lacy black tank top. She turned off the lights and crawled back into bed, curling up beside him.

"Night, Gin," she whispered.

"Night, Jaedelyn," he slung his arm over her, pulling her close.


	7. Chapter 7

Aniston opened her eyes groggily, propping herself up on her elbow. She suddenly realized she wasn't alone. She yelped and rolled, falling off the bed and onto the floor. She groaned, sitting up.

"Wha—?" Izuru sat up, rubbing his face sleepily.

Of course. They'd been laying on her bed, chatting late into the night—they must've fallen asleep. She mentally chided herself for freaking out like that. She stood, glancing at the alarm clock on the table on the other side of the bed. 3:42am. She hadn't been asleep long—an hour or two.

"Go back to sleep, Izuru," she said, climbing back onto the bed. She pushed on his chest lightly, making him lay back down. She unfolded the fluffy purple blanket at the end of the bed, pulling it over them.

She couldn't resist the urge to cuddle up to him, laying her head on his chest.

Comfy.

* * *

Brook's curiosity got the better of her as she crept up the stairs toward her room. She stopped by Aniston's room, cracking the door open to peek in. Her little sister was laying in bed with a blond. Toni's head was on his chest, her purple blanket hanging haphazardly over the edge of the bed.

She slipped in and padded up to the platform, tugging the blanket back over them.

They were so cute. His blond hair partially obscured his face, giving him a soft, gentle appearance—consistent with Capri's rather brief description of him. His arms were wrapped loosely around Aniston. Her hand lay on his chest beside her face, loosely gripping his shirt. They looked so comfortable and peaceful.

Brook smiled softly, brushing Aniston's bangs from her face. She turned and crept out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

She couldn't wait to officially meet him.

* * *

Izuru blinked his eyes open. This… was not his room… and there was a weight on his chest…?

He jumped; there was a girl in his arms, her head on his chest.

Purple hair, blue streaks.

Aniston.

Aniston's room.

Aniston's bed.

They'd been talking. They'd been laying on her bed and talking. They must've fallen asleep…. He vaguely remembered waking up to a shriek in the middle of the night and seeing her on the floor—she must've woken up and had a similar reaction to his.

Well, she'd gotten back in the bed with him; he supposed that meant she was ok with it….

He exhaled slowly, manually relaxing his body. He looked down at Aniston, lightly brushing his fingertips across her cheek. She was really cute, and she obviously knew it—she wasn't shy in the least. He wasn't sure why she bothered with him, but he was glad she did. She kind of intimidated him—she was so… forward—but he liked her. A lot. She was his polar opposite—cheerful, outspoken, confident.

Maybe she was just what he needed.

"Izu…?" Aniston stirred, opening her eyes halfway. She looked up at him sleepily. "What's wrong?"

"Ah—n-nothing!" he stammered, blushing.

She blinked, giving him a blank stare.

"You sure?" she asked.

"Y-yeah…."

She reached across him, turning the alarm clock toward her. 6:13am. She groaned, dropping her arm and burying her face in his chest.

"Go back to sleep, Izuru," she mumbled.

He didn't say anything, just continued to look down at her. After a minute, she looked back up at him.

"What is it, Izuru?" she asked, propping herself up.

"N-nothing..." he glanced away unsurely.

"Izuru," she turned his face back toward her.

His already dark blush deepened further. She tilted her head thoughtfully.

"Are you uncomfortable sleeping with me?" she asked.

"A-ah, I-I, um, I don't, I mean—"

She giggled. His mouth snapped shut.

"You can be honest with me, Izuru," she said softly.

"I-it's just… unusual," he muttered.

"Not used to having a girl in bed?" she grinned.

He looked away again, and she laughed.

"It's ok, Izuru. It's new to me, too," she lay back down next to him.

She didn't lay her head on his chest, but she lay right next to him and draped an arm over his chest. He hesitantly put his arm around her.

"Yeah," he whispered. "New…."

"New, but not bad," she said.

"No," he agreed. "Not bad."

She smiled and snuggled closer to him. Her smile widened when she felt his arm tighten around her, his other arm sliding over her side.

* * *

"Get up get up get up get up!"

"Get up get up get up!"

Hunter and Capri were running through the house, banging on doors and shouting at the top of their lungs.

"Shiro, get up!" Hunter ran into her room and dragged Toshiro out of her bed, then ran back out into the hallway.

A disgruntled Toshiro appeared in her doorway a moment later, watching his friend run around like a maniac. Faces—some amused, some sleepy—gradually popped out of doorways as the two continued to shout.

"Toni!" Hunter slammed Aniston's door open. "Get up get—Whoooaaa you have a boy in your bed!"

She slid to a stop in the middle of the room, staring wide-eyed at the bed. She narrowly dodged the fluffy black pillow Aniston threw at her.

"Yeah, Hunter," Aniston sighed, sitting up. "I have a boy in my bed. What of it? I'm pretty sure you did, too."

"Oh, yeah, that's true," Hunter giggled. "I was just surprised. Ok well you're up so stay up!"

She ran back out of the room, slamming the door shut. Aniston sighed as she heard Hunter go back to her wake-up call.

"You ok, Izuru?" she asked, looking down at him.

"Yeah," he sat up, "that was just… awkward…."

"Ha, yeah," she agreed, "but it's not that big a deal. C'mon, someone's making breakfast."

She rolled out of bed, grabbing his hand and tugging him out the door after her.

"Not a word!" Aniston said, leading Izuru into the dining room.

Avalon snapped her mouth shut, pouting. She grumbled something under her breath, shoving another piece of pancake in her mouth.

"Hey, guys," Jaedelyn laughed. She was sitting across from Avalon on Gin's lap, eating off his plate. Avalon made a face as Gin fed her a bite of pancake.

"You guys are so gross!" she groaned.

"I think it's cute," Aniston giggled, sitting down next to Jaedelyn and Gin. Izuru followed, sititng on her other side.

"Thanks, Toni," Jaedelyn grinned.

"Oh, you're up."

Aniston looked up as Brooklyn walked in, carrying a platter of pancakes.

"Capri, bring in some more plates!" Brook called back into the kitchen.

"'Kay!"

"You must be Izuru," Brook smiled, setting down the platter on the table. "I'm Brook."

"Ah, n-nice to meet you."

Capri bounced in with a stack of plates and silverware. She set them on the table.

"Hey, Izuru!" she chirped. "Morning, Toni."

"Help yourself," Brook patted Izuru's shoulder as she walked back toward the kitchen, grabbing Capri by the arm and pulling her along.

"Eek! Bye!" Capri giggled, stumbling and running behind Brook.

"I better go get ready," Jaedelyn said, standing and stretching. "C'mon, Gin."

"Bha," Aniston mumbled through a mouthful of pancake.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Toni," Kailyn scolded, walking in.

"Shurry Kaiwyn."

Kailyn sighed, sitting down; Aniston giggled.

"You'd think you'd be on your best behavior."

Theia walked in, a soft, playful smile on her lips. Her orange eyes were framed by long red-brown bangs, her hair falling just past her shoulders.

Aniston swallowed before replying.

"Now why would I do that, Theia?" she grinned.

"To make a good impression."

"Yeah, but he'd find out what I'm' really like eventually—there's no point in prolonging it."

"Mm-hm," Theia laughed softly, sitting down next to Kailyn.

"Did you finish your exam, Theia?" Kailyn asked.

"Mm-hm," she nodded.

"Oh, how'd it go, Thei?" Aniston asked. "What did they have you do?"

"Fight a hollow and demonstrate my healing Kido."

"Oh. That's it?" she asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Theia nodded. "It wasn't particularly difficult."

"Well, that's good to know," Aniston grinned. "Ah, speaking of which, I'd better get ready!"

She jumped up and bolted out of the room.

"Whoa—slow down, Toni! You'll hurt someone!" a girl's voice floated in from the stairwell.

Aniston's twin sister, London, walked in moments later, laughing. Her long purplish-black hair hung about halfway down her back, her long bangs falling to the left side of her face, partially obscuring the left purple-grey eye.

"She's getting ready for the exam," Theia explained.

"Ah, that explains the rush."

"You're right after her, aren't you?" Kailyn asked.

"Yep. I'm all ready, though," she grinned. "Hey, you're Izuru, right? I'm London—I'm Toni's twin. Are you going to watch her today?"

"Yes," he nodded.

"That's good," Kailyn smiled softly. "She'll try harder."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Aniston won't pretend to be something she's not," Theia explained, "but she does want to make a good impression."

"Yep," London nodded. "From what Hayden told me about your guys' outing last night, Toni likes you a lot—she's outgoing and friendly, but she doesn't flirt with guys she doesn't genuinely like."

"Are you guys talking about me?" Aniston asked, walking back into the room.

"Yes, yes we are," London grinned.

"Cool. You ready to go?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Ready, Izuru?"

"Yes," he stood, letting Aniston drag him by the hand out of the house and through the Seireitei.

London followed, amused by her sister's antics. She was further amused by Izuru's… nonchalance? No, that's not the right word…. Indulgence? Better. He indulged her, simply going along with whatever she wanted.

It was kinda cute.


	8. Chapter 8

"Warm and enlighten, Amaterasu!"

Izuru watched as Aniston shouted out her Kaigo, the release incantation to activate Shikai. Flames circled her feet and the blade as her katana grew drastically, gaining dramatic, spike-like ridges.

The hollow—a Menos Grande, to Izuru's surprise and slight concern—fired a cero at Aniston, which she easily dodged. It continued to fire cero after cero at her, which she continued to dodge, although she was beginning to slow down—the ceros were getting closer and closer to hitting her.

"Bakudo #73: Tozansho."

Aniston stopped, a blue, inverted pyramid forming around her. The Menos' ceros were unable to break through, at least for the moment. Aniston clasped her hands together, five small yellow orbs rising from between her fingers as she recited an incantation.

"Walls of iron sand, a priestly pagoda, glowing ironclad fireflies. Standing upright, silent to the end. Bakudo #75: Gochutekkan."

The orbs rose above her head, forming into a circle. She raised her hands above her head, then lowered them, the orbs falling with her hands. A bright light appeared above the Menos, followed by five gigantic pillars, connected by chains. The pillars plummeted to the ground, pinning the Menos.

The last cero fired by the Menos shattered the barrier, but didn't hurt her; the Kido had bought her just enough time.

Aniston pointed her Zanpakuto at the Menos.

"Lesson two: don't touch an open flame."

The Menos caught on fire, incinerating.

Aniston closed her Shikai, sheathing her Zanpakuto, and exited the arena. She washed up and emerged in the stands, searching for Izuru. When she spotted him, she rushed over and sat in the empty seat beside him to wait for London's exam.

"Hey, Izuru!" she chirped.

"Hey, Aniston," he smiled shyly back at her. "You did great. I've never seen anyone below lieutenant use Bakudo that advanced."

"Thanks!" she beamed. "You think I'll get a seated position?"

"I'm sure of it," he nodded.

"Yay!" she giggled. "Ooh, London's coming out!"

* * *

"What's wrong, Hun?" Aniston asked, peering down at Hunter.

Hunter sighed, looking up from her seat on the grass.

"Shiro's got some dumb captain meeting," she pouted.

Aniston laughed.

"Aren't they discussing our placements?" she grinned.

"They are?" Hunter blinked.

"That's what Jaede said," she nodded. "She's waiting for Gin outside the building—why don't you go wait for Toshiro with her? I doubt they'll take _too_ long."

"Ok," Hunter smiled, jumping up.

She smacked a kiss onto Aniston's cheek and ran off.

"Have fun doing whatever you're gonna do!" she called back.

"Uh-huh. Bye, Hunter!" Aniston waved after her, grinning. "C'mon, Izuru."

"Where are we going?" he asked, following her.

"We're gonna find London and go shopping!" she giggled

He wasn't sure how to comment on that….

* * *

"Captain Hitsugaya," Yamamoto addressed Toshiro, first, foreseeing his response, "do you have a preference as to whom should be assigned to your division?"

"I want Hunter and Hayden."

"Of course ya do," Gin chuckled.

Toshiro shot him a look that was a mixture between an "I-hate-your-guts" glare and a "WTF-that's-real-mature" stare.

"Why shouldn't he get them?" Ukitake asked curiously.

"I'm not sayin' he shouldn't," Gin chuckled again. "I'm jus' sayin' it's not a surprise, given 'is and Hunter's relationship."

"We've been friends since we were children," Toshiro sighed. "We know each other well and we would work well together. Besides, aren't you going to request Jaedelyn?"

"'Course, and Aniston as well. I-"

"As long as your personal relationships don't interfere with your work," Yamamoto interrupted, casting both captains stern looks, "I see nothing wrong with either of your requests. Does anyone else have a request?"

"I want Cozette and Capri," Unohana said softly.

"What?!" Kenpachi shouted. "I want Cozette and Capri!"

"Cozette's healing abilities are incredible," Unohana argued calmly, "and Capri's are close behind. They would both be wonderful additions to Fourth Division."

"Yeah, but didn't you see their fighting?! They're perfect for Eleventh!"

"Eleventh could use a skilled healer," Ukitake pointed out.

"All the Atchisons are highly competent healers," Toshiro said. "Their mother required that they learn."

"Cozette _is_ particularly gifted, though," Gin added.

"Captain Unohana, I'll assign Cozette to you, and I'll assign Capri to you, Captain Zaraki," Yamamoto sighed. "Does that work for each of you?"

"It's fine with me," Unohana smiled.

"I want Josette, too," Kenpachi grumbled.

"Very well."

"I'd like Brooklyn," Ukitake said, leafing through his files, "and... Levi."

"I'd like Theia," Aizen said mildly.

"I like the looks of that Avalon girl," Shunsui grinned. "And Nevaeh."

"I think Venetia looks interesting," Mayuri said gleefully.

"I think Paris and London would be good additions to Ninth Division," Tosen said.

"All right. I'll take your requests into consideration. You'll receive the results as soonas the papers are complete."

"Perhaps Cap'n Kuchiki'd like Kailyn," Gin suggested, grinning.

"That's fine," Byakuya replied coolly. "She has a good record."

"She 'as strong morals. Tha's your big thing, ain't it?"

"Upholding the law is important."

"You won't have any problems with Kailyn," Toshiro sighed, rubbing his temples-he was so ready to be out of the meeting. "She's devoted and responsible."

"How dull," Gin grinned. "Bein' responsible's no fun."

"Don't let Jaedelyn hear that."

Gin paled.

Toshiro couldn't help but take satisfaction in that.

* * *

"You're done!" Hunter squealed, rushing at Toshiro and hugging him excitedly.

"Yes."

"How was the meeting?" Jaedelyn asked, leaning up to give Gin a brief kiss.

"Borin'" he said, taking her hand in his. "But we'll 'ave your assignments soon."

"Great—"

"Hey, Jaede," Hunter interrupted, "make sure he takes you on at least another date before you hit the sack—I'd recommend at least two more."

"... Where the hell did that come from?" Jaedelyn asked.

"Watching you guys kiss. Bye!" She grabbed Toshiro's hand and ran off, dragging him along.

"Wha's with your sisters an' throwin' sex comments at us?"

"Dunno," Jaedelyn shrugged, "but I think Hunter has a point."

"A'course," he sighed.

She grinned up at him.

"And the quantity will depend on quality, so you can't just take me on a date and then expect to get laid!"

"You're killin' me, Jaede," he groaned.

"You love me and you know it."

"Yea'," he sighed.

"C'mon, I want some ice cream," she said, pulling on his hand.

* * *

"Aniston," Izuru said suddenly, pulling her to a stop.

"What?" she glanced back at him, confused.

"You're bleeding."

"Huh?" she blinked.

"He's right, Toni," London said, pointing to Aniston's arm.

There was a thin trail of blood trickling down her arm.

"Oh…." She blinked again. "I must've cut it on something…."

"Here," he sighed, pulling her closer and pushing up her sleeve.

She watched as he hovered his hand over the cut, a soft blue light emanating from his palm. The cut was gone almost instantly.

"Thanks," she grinned up at him, starting to walk backwards.

"Anis—"

She shrieked, slamming into something and falling forward. He caught her in his arms, steadying her.

"Sorry."

She looked behind her to find a familiar face staring down at her.

"Shuhei?" she blinked, straightening.

He stared at her for a moment before his eyes widened slightly.

"Toni."

"Shuhei!" she squealed, hugging him enthusiastically.

She released him and stepped back, bouncing excitedly. She watched as his gaze landed on London.

"Hey, Shu," London said softly, smiling tentatively at him.

He stared at her silently for a moment before exhaling slowly, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"You dyed your hair."

"I did," she smiled fully, walking briskly forward and throwing her arms around him.

Aniston grinned, watching them hug. She glanced over at Izuru, who looked confused and surprised but not particularly concerned.

"Just watch," she whispered in his ear.

London took a step back, looking up at Hisagi.

"You got another tattoo."

"Ah, yeah…."

She tilted her head, studying him. After a moment, she smiled.

"I can live with it," she giggled, leaning up and kissing him on the nose.

"That's good," he laughed slightly.

"Mm-hm," she giggled again, leaning into him.

"Izuru."

"Hey, Shuhei."

"You know Shuhei, Izuru?" Aniston grabbed Izuru's arm, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Yes," he nodded, "I met him when I was in the academy. He led my first field training."

"Oh," she blinked. "Wait—was that the one with the Hollow attack?"

"Yeah, Izuru's team was the one that helped me hold off the Hollow until Captains Aizen and Ichimaru arrived."

"I thought I recognized him…." London mused. "From right when you guys got back. Y'know, I bet Jaedelyn did, too."

"She probably did," Aniston agreed. "Anyway, I'd ask if you want to join us, Shuhei, but I think I'll just leave London with you."

"Ok."

"London, send me a Tenteikura if you wanna meet up somewhere. Otherwise I'll see you at home."

"'Kay. Have fun, Toni," London grinned.

"Back at'cha," Aniston grinned back.

She kissed her sister on the cheek, repeated the action with Shuhei, and walked away, pulling Izuru behind her.

"I missed you, Shu," London sighed, looking up at him.

"I missed you, too, Lonni."

She smiled, taking his hand. He smiled back at her.

"C'mon."

"Where are we going?" she asked, following him.

"You'll see."

He flashstepped, taking her to a place in the woods that she knew well. She smiled, jumping to a large rock in the middle of the creek and sitting down. He jumped over and sat down next to her, pulling her close.

"It's a lot nicer here with you," he said softly.

"Oh? Who else've you been here with?" she asked, looking up at him.

He couldn't tell if she was being serious or just teasing.

"No one. Just myself."

"Why?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.

Now she was definitely serious.

"I missed you," he said again. "I'd come here when it got too hard. I'd sit here and remember. Sometimes I'd bring my guitar. It made me feel closer to you."

"Aw," she smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I really missed you," he said softly, lifting a hand to her cheek.

"I really missed you, too."

He tipped her chin up and leaned down slowly, pressing his lips to hers softly. Her eyes fluttered closed as she kissed him back.

It was just like their first kiss.

"_C'mon, Shuhei!" London giggled, running through the trees._

"_London, slow down! You're gonna—"_

_He flinched as she tripped and fell, disappearing from sight with a shriek._

"—_get hurt."_

_He sighed and jogged over, peering down at his best friend. She was lying facedown in the creek. She pushed herself up onto her knees and looked up at him, a pout on her face. She looked like she was about to cry._

"_I told you."_

"_Shut up, Shuhei!" she glared at him, standing—well, trying to._

_She shrieked again as she fell back to her knees, inadvertently splashing him._

"_Hey—!"_

_He sighed as she glared at him again._

"_C'mon, Lonni," he grabbed her by the upper arm and pulled her to her feet._

_She started to go down again, and he quickly grabbed her around the waist._

"_What's wrong?"_

"_My ankle hurts," she said softly, looking down. "My left one. And my right leg hurts, too, but not as bad."_

"_Let me see," he scooped her up into his arms and set her down on a large rock in the middle of the water._

_He frowned, seeing blood trickling down her right leg from a gash on her thigh. It didn't look too serious, though. He moved his gaze to her left ankle. He crouched, slipping her shoe off, and his frowned deepened; her ankle was swollen and purple._

"_I think your ankle is broken," he murmured._

"_What?!" she shrieked._

"_Calm down!" he sighed. "You're gonna be fine."_

"_B-but—"_

"_You're gonna be fine, London," he repeated, sitting next to her on the rock._

_She didn't say anything, staring down at her ankle._

_He sighed and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. He felt her tremble as she fought back tears._

"_It hurts," she whimpered. "It hurts and I'm scared."_

"_Why are you scared?" he asked softly._

"_I-I don't know," she sniffed. "I've never broken a bone before. And we're all alone out here."_

"_We're not alone, Lonni," he said, shaking his head._

"_What—?"_

"_We're together."_

_She blinked, staring at him._

"_I'll take care of you."_

_She felt her cheeks heat up, looking away. Her lips twitched in a small smile. She sniffed again, a tear running down her cheek._

"_What's wrong, Lonni?" he asked, wiping the tear away._

"_My ankle just hurts," she whispered, another tear escaping from her eye._

_He turned her face toward him, tilting her chin up slightly. Her eyes widened as he leaned in slowly, pausing millimeters from her lips._

"_I'll take care of you," he repeated in a whisper before crashing his lips into hers._

_Her heart skipped a beat, her eyes as wide as saucers._

_Shuhei was seriously kissing her._

_Her eyes fluttered closed as she leaned into the kiss, kissing him back tentatively. His hand slid around to the back of her head, his other hand gripping hers. She tangled her fingers in his somewhat-long black hair as his tangled in her long brown locks (which she hated, by the way). His tongue ran along her bottom lip, and she gasped, giving him the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth. She groaned softly as his tongue roamed, sending lightning bolts through her body. His tongue ghosted across hers, and she responded immediately, fighting her way into his mouth for her turn to explore. He groaned, giving her a smug sense of satisfaction. He pulled away. They were both breathing heavily, their expressions slightly dazed. He smiled and kissed her nose, making her giggle._

"_I love you, London," he whispered._

_She blushed, smiling shyly._

"_I-I love you, too, Shuhei," she mumbled._

_His smile widened as he pulled her to him, hugging her tightly. They stayed like that for several minutes before he sighed and pulled away reluctantly._

"_We should get you some medical attention," he said, sliding off the rock to stand in the water._

"_But I can't—"_

"_C'mon."_

_He turned his back to her and backed up, grabbing her wrist and pulling her forward. She squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him. He hooked his arms under her knees and straightened, wading toward the bank. He carried her all the way to the academy._

London smiled up at Shuhei, pressing another brief kiss to his lips.

One thing she'd never done was take him for granted; she almost didn't get to have a relationship with him.

_The next day, he kissed her goodbye as he set off with Kanisawa and Aoga to lead a field lesson. She was supposed to go with him, but they were making her take a day off to recoup from her injury, despite it already being healed._

_When word reached her about the Hollow attack, she rushed to the gate as fast as she could. She waited anxiously for a glimpse of him; when she finally caught sight of him, she took off at a sprint, shoving her way through the crowd._

"_Shu!"_

"_Lonni."_

_She ran into his arms, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist._

"_I'm so glad you're ok," she murmured, tears streaming down her face._

_She looked up at him, doing a double-take; there were three long gashes down the side of his face._

"_You're hurt!" she gasped._

"_They don't hurt anymore," he shook his head._

"_But—"_

"_I'm fine," he said softly._

_She frowned and took a step back, looking up at him; no matter what he said, something wasn't right._

"_Shuhei, what—"_

"_Kanisawa and Aoga are dead, Lonni."_

"_What?" she gasped, more tears flooding her face. "No…. No..."_

"_I'm sorry, London. The Hollow came out of nowhere and killed Kanisawa. Aoga tried to avenge her, and it killed him, too. I…. I'm sorry. I couldn't save her."_

_She was surprised to see tears in his eyes._

"_It should've been me."_

"_No!" she gasped. "No, Shuhei, don't you dare say that!"_

"_But, London—"_

"_No, Shuhei," she shook her head. "Kani wouldn't want you to say that, and neither do I."_

"_She was your best friend—"_

"_She was, and so are you. It hurts to lose her, Shuhei, but…but you're still here, so I'll be ok."_

"_London…."_

"_As long as you're here, I'll be ok," she whispered, stepping back into his arms._

_She cried. He sank to his knees with her, holding her close while she sobbed._

"_I'm sorry, London," he murmured, kissing the top of her head._

_He looked up when a shadow fell over them._

_Jaedelyn smiled sadly down at him. She knelt beside them, placing a hand on her sister's back. London started, staring at Jaedelyn._

"_Jaede," she whimpered._

"_I'm sorry about Kanisawa, London," Jaedelyn said softly. "I wish I'd gotten there sooner."_

"_Y-you—you were there?" London blinked._

"_Mm-hm," she nodded. "Sosuke, Gin and I dispatched the Hollow."_

"_And saved my life," Shuhei added softly._

"_Well, I couldn't let my sister's new boyfriend die—especially when she'd just lost her best friend."_

"_Thank you, Jaedelyn," London threw her arms around her sister. "Tell Gin and Sosuke 'thank you,' too."_

"_I'll tell Sosuke—once I find him—but Gin's right behind you," Jaedelyn said, hugging her sister._

_London looked up to see Gin standing behind her. His signature grin was still plastered on his face, but there was a melancholy aspect that wasn't usually there. She stood and wrapped her arms around his waist._

"_Thank you for saving Shuhei, Gin," she whispered._

"_A'course, London," he murmured softly, hugging her tightly. "I'm jus' glad you weren't on tha' trip."_

"_I got lucky," she sighed. "But I'm sure Gin-aniki would have saved me."_

"_A'course," he repeated, "but yer boy-toy'd prob'ly be dead."_

"_What?" she blinked, her eyes widening._

"'_e'd'a got 'imself killed tryin' ta save ya."_

"_Probably," Shuhei agreed, standing._

"_Then I'm extra glad I wasn't there," London said._

"_We all are, Lon," Jaedelyn said. "Gin, we'd better find Sosuke and get outta here—we're gonna have lots of paperwork to do for this one."_

"_A'right, a'right," he sighed._

"_Take care, you two," Jaedelyn said, kissing each teen on the forehead._

_Shuhei scowled, but kept silent; he'd long since learned that complaining did no good._

"_Bye, Jaede—don't forget to tell Sosuke," London said._

"_I won't," she promised, grabbing Gin by the hand._

"_Bye-bye, London!" Gin called, letting Jaedelyn drag him away._

"_Bye, Gin."_

_London looked up as Shuhei's arm wrapped around her shoulders._

"_Want me to take you home?" he asked._

"_Yes, please," she nodded, "and promise you'll stay."_

"_Of course," he nodded, kissing her temple._

"What's wrong, London?"

"This place brings back memories," she said softly.

"I know."

She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I love you, Shuhei," she whispered.

He smiled softly, and uncharacteristic warmth in his eyes.

"I love you, too, London."

She smiled, snuggling closer to him.

"Does this mean we're together again?" he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Mm-hm," she looked up at him, watching a bright smile cross his features.

"Good."

He leaned down, catching her lips in another kiss. He groaned as she bit down gently on his bottom lip, her tongue slipping into his mouth. He pulled her toward him, leaning back.

London gasped as Shuhei suddenly disappeared, sending up a splash. She peered over the edge of the rock, giggling.

"Shut up," he glared up at her, brushing his wet bangs out of his face.

"If it makes you feel better," she giggled, "you look sexy wet."

His glare disappeared, replaced with a slightly stunned expression; his eyes widened slightly, a faint pink tinting his cheeks. He sighed, standing. He leaned against the rock, smiling as she pecked his lips softly.

"Let's go home," she said.

He looked at her quizzically, and she grinned.

"We can make some yummy food."

He grinned and straightened, scooping her up off of the rock and into his arms. She squealed, and he laughed lightly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled against it as he Shunpoed.

* * *

So much...cheesiness...and...melodrama...and fluff! I love fluff... And I can't resist being a bit cheesy sometimes ("we're not alone, we're together" LOL). Anyway, reviews are much appreciated :)


	9. Chapter 9

"What?" Toshiro growled, irritated by the curious glances.

Hunter giggled, taking a lick from her ice cream cone.

"Calm down, Shiro," she giggled, hanging on his arm. "They're just curious."

"I know," he growled, dragging her into his office.

"What's the big deal?" she asked, frowning slightly as she leaned back against the door.

"I don't like those looks," he muttered, sitting down at his desk and starting on his paperwork.

"Oh, honestly!" she sighed, pushing herself off the door.

She slammed her hand down onto his desk. He glanced up at her, startled and somewhat confused.

"What?" he asked.

"You're being immature."

His eyes widened.

"W-what?'

"Who cares how they look at you, Toshiro? Their thoughts are theirs, and they're no business of yours, nor should you care about them! You're trying too hard to come across as a mature adult and you're making yourself look silly!"

He stared at her, surprised, as she pushed herself off of the desk and spun on her heel.

"I'll be out here."

He watched in stunned silence as she walked out. Hunter actually seemed…angry. She never got angry with him. She certainly never went off on him like that—she was always understanding and patient.

He groaned, laying his head on his desk.

Hunter leaned against the door, ignoring the curious stares as she finished off her ice cream cone. The sugar did wonders for her mood; by the time she was done, she was back to her cheerful self.

"Hunter!"

She squeaked as her face was smooshed against two large breasts, smothering her.

"Ran—Rangiku!" she gasped. "Boobs—smothering!"

"Woops, sorry!" Rangiku laughed, setting the petite girl back on her feet. "So what are you doing?"

"Waiting for Shiro. He's doing paperwork."

"Why are you waiting out here?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, he was being a dummy," she shrugged, "so I told him I'd wait out here. He got all pissy because people were watching us curiously."

"Oh," Rangiku blinked.

She was silent for a moment, then laughed.

"Yeah, that sounds like him."

"Yep. I was pretty irritated with him, but ice cream cures all ailments!" Hunter giggled. "Maybe I should ebb the curiosity a bit…."

"How are you gonna do that?" Rangiku asked curiously.

Hunter grinned and stepped up onto a desk, glad she'd worn spankies under her black tutu-miniskirt. She smoothed her turquoise halter-top and took a breath. She glanced around, finding all eyes on her, the room already silent.

"I'm Hunter Atchison," she said calmly. "Just call me Hunter. I grew up with T—Captain Hitsugaya. He's my best friend. I've just returned from the world of the living with my family. I was on tour, performing around the world. Any questions?"

The room was silent for a moment before a girl called out.

"Do you love him?"

Hunter laughed lightly. She didn't hear the door creak open behind her.

"Of course I do."

"Are you dating?" another girl called out.

"No," she shook her head.

"So you're single?" a guy grinned.

"Yes," she nodded.

"Do you wanna go out?" another guy grinned.

"No."

She suppressed a giggle as his face fell.

"You said performing—are you a singer?" a girl asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Singer, dancer, musician—you name it, I do it."

"Sing for us!" someone called—she couldn't place where it came from.

"Yeah!" someone seconded.

"Sing!"

She laughed as the chant grew in volume.

"Ok, ok!" she held up her hands, quieting them. "I'll sing—just tone it down."

She thought for a moment, took a breath, and began to sing a song from an operetta she'd seen in the world of the living.

"On my own, pretending he's beside me. All alone, I walk with him 'til morning. Without him, I feel his arms around me. And when I lose my way I close my eyes, and he has found me. In the rain, the pavement shines like silver. All the lights are misty in the river. In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight, and all I see is him and me forever and forever. And I know it's only in my mind, that I'm talking to myself and not to him. And although I know that he is blind, still I say, there's a way for us. I love him, but when the night is over, he is gone; the river's just a river. Without him, the world around me changes. The trees are bare and everywhere the streets are full of strangers. I love him, but every day I'm learning. All my life, I've only been pretending! Without me, his world would go on turning—a world that's full of happiness that I have never known!"

She blinked her eyes, choking back tears.

"I love him. I love him. I love him, but only on my own."

"Why are you crying?"

She gasped, whirling around.

"Sh-Shiro!"

"Why are you crying?" he asked again, looking up at her.

"O-oh, um, that song just really gets to me," she smiled weakly.

"Mm…."

He looked up at her for a moment before sighing and holding his hand out to her. She slid her hand into his, putting her other hand on his shoulder as he helped her off the desk.

"C'mon."

"Wha—eek!" she squeaked as he tugged her forward, pulling her into his office.

"Why were you _really _crying?" he asked, leaning against the door.

She flushed slightly, sitting on his desk.

"It reminded me of when I was in the world of the living," she said softly, staring down at her high tops. "I really missed you, Shiro."

He sighed.

"Hunter…." He stepped toward her and took her hand in his. "You should've come home sooner."

She blushed as he kissed her hand.

That was uncharacteristic.

"I wasn't sure you wanted me to come home," she admitted.

"What?" he blinked, surprised. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, you never wrote me back, and you never came to any of my concerts. I thought—"

"I came to every single one, Hunter," he cut her off.

"W-what? But—"

"I was at every single one," he repeated.

"You…you really…." She exhaled slowly. "Why didn't you…why didn't you come backstage? You could've come and talked to me."

"I didn't want to."

He flinched inwardly at the hurt expression that crossed her features.

"I don't mean it like that, Hunter," he sighed. "I... If I'd talked to you, I would've ended up trying to get you to come back. I didn't want to do that to you—I wanted you to do what you wanted. I knew how excited you'd been about going to the world of the living and going on tour, and I wanted you to enjoy it. I didn't want you to cut it short because of me and I didn't want you to be upset."

She stared at him, her eyes teary and her lip quivering. He staggered backward as she flung her arms around him, sliding off the desk. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her, holding her while she cried against his shoulder. When she was done, she took a deep breath and stepped back slightly, wiping her eyes.

"I wanted to come home," she said softly. "I only stayed as long as I did because I was afraid I'd come home to find you angry or…or hating me."

She whimpered as her eyes filled with tears again.

"I couldn't hate you, Hunter," he said honestly. "There's nothing you could do to make me hate you."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"You're gonna make me cry again," she laughed softly, wiping at her eyes again.

"Sorry," he smiled slightly, glad that she was at least laughing.

"It's ok; I'll forgive you," she giggled.

He just looked at her silently, debating in his head. His gazed flashed to his desk, then back to her face. All he had to do was have her look in the drawer….

It could be the best decision or the worst decision of his life.

He sighed, taking her hand again.

"Ice cream?" he suggested. "Candy?"

She giggled happily; he knew her so well.

"Is that fudge place still there?"

"Yeah, it's still there," he smiled, leading her out of his office.

He was pleased to notice that, while they still received a few intrigued glances, they were few and far between, and far subtler.

He'd have to thank her for that. Her efforts had obviously been for him—she couldn't care less about curious looks—and after having her go off on him, it meant even more.

As they walked, his thoughts wandered back to the drawer and its contents. He sighed.

Maybe someday.

"What's wrong?"

He glanced back at Hunter.

"Nothing," he smiled.

She smiled back at him, and he shoved all thoughts of the drawer aside.

Hunter was home, and he was happy.

* * *

The song Hunter sang is On My Own from Les Misérables. I saw the musical for my eighteenth birthday-it's amazing! The movie's great, also-both the nonmusical (which I saw for the first time and fell in love with in world history freshman year) and the new musical versions. So if you haven't seen it, go see it! :)

Reviews are much appreciated! :D or PMs. I thrive off of feedback :)


	10. Chapter 10

"¡Ay! ¡Tener cuidado, Rosalía!"

The entire class looked toward the door at the sound of a girl shouting in Spanish.

"Lo siento, Karmi," came another feminine voice, followed by a giggle.

"¿Porque hablamos en Español?" came a third voice. "¡Abre la puerta!"

"Sí, sí," came a soft male voice. "Abre la puerta, Karmi."

"Ustedes son tontos…." the first girl sighed.

The door clicked open, revealing a group of five—four girls, and one boy.

"Oh! That's right, we have transfer students!" Masato Ochi clapped her hands together. "Please introduce yourselves."

"I'm Ashtyn," a girl with shoulder-length candy-apple-green hair and orange eyes stepped forward, grinning. "I like singing, dancing, movies and video games. Oh, and soccer! And sword-fighting!"

"I like pretty much the same stuff Ashtyn does," a girl with gold waves to her mid-back and blue eyes giggled. She was about two inches shorter than Ashtyn—5'4"-ish. "I'm Rosalia. I play more video games than she does, though. Oh, and I love fireworks! Your turn, Skylar!"

"Ok," a girl with wavy brown hair and dark blue eyes smiled softly, bowing. Her hair had red streaks and fell to her mid-back. She was the same height as Rosalia. "I'm Skylar Valente. I also enjoy singing and dancing, and I'm rather fond of art of all types. I'm efficient with a sword, but I prefer projectiles. I spend a lot of time with guns and archery. I especially like the grace and silence of a bow and arrow."

"Do you want to go?" the last girl asked, looking up at the sole boy.

She was tall, about 5'8", but had a young, girlish innocence about her, and had long, loose brown-black curls and honey-gold eyes. He was relatively tall, too, pushing 6', with spiky blond hair with icy blue tips and blue eyes.

"Nope," he smiled, shaking his head. "Ladies first."

"Ok," she giggled, turning to the class. "I'm Karmen. I like singing and dancing, too, and drawing. Ooh, and puppies! I love puppies! And kitties! And plushies and candy and—"

"They get it, Karmi," Rosalia rolled her eyes. "You like cute stuff and sugar and you're adorable."

"Aw, you think I'm adorable?" Karmen giggled. "Thanks, Rosi! I think you're adorable, too!"

Rosalia groaned.

"Umm, anyway," the boy laughed, "I'm Liam. I like sports and cooking and hanging out with my sisters. If you haven't noticed the pattern, we're pretty into weaponry and fighting—but we don't have _real _fights very often. Just lots of sparring."

"Our sisters Krystal and Zane will probably—hopefully—be joining us next semester," Rosalia said softly. "Krystal…she's a year older than us, but she'll be a year behind because…because…."

"There was an accident," Liam finished for her. "It was pretty bad-Krystal's been hospitalized for nearly a year. She was finally released a few weeks ago. She wanted to move because there were too many memories in California. We have cousins here, so we decided this was the best place to move to. She's still bedridden, but we think she'll be up and about in a few months. Zane stayed behind to keep her company while the rest of us got things ready here."

"Don't cry, Inoue-chan!" a boy in the back of the class shouted suddenly.

Several boys scrambled toward Orihime. Her purple-haired friend attacked them. While she was occupied with the hoard, Liam walked over, crouching down and taking her hand. He wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Please don't be sad, Princess," he said softly. "She's going to be fine—she's doing quite well."

"O-oh, I-I'm sorry," she sniffed, wiping her eyes. "I don't mean to be a bother."

"You're not a bother, Princess," he assured her.

"My brother died in an accident," she said softly.

His eyes widened, his breath catching.

"I'm very sorry to hear that, Princess," he said softly. "I'm sure he's doing just fine, though."

"Yes," she smiled weakly. "Yes, I'm sure he's happy. You can call me Orihime, by the way."

"Orihime, don't tell him that!"

"Why not, Tatsuki?" Orihime looked up at her friend, confused.

"B-because, he-he…he…." Tatsuki gritted her teeth in irritation.

"She's just trying to protect you," Liam informed her, smiling cheerfully.

"Protect me?" Orihime blinked. "Why does she need to protect me?"

"'Cause I'm a guy," he grinned, "and therefore am not to be trusted."

"Th-that's not—!"

"It is your reasoning," he cut Tatsuki off. "I'm not offended by it, though—I understand. Not including my parents, I'm the only guy amongst eight girls, so I hear plenty of 'boys-suck' talk."

"He's right!" Ashtyn chirped, sitting on top of a desk—failing to notice the orange-haired boy sitting at it. "But you don't have to worry about Li! He's well-trained!"

She giggled, and Tatsuki looked at her skeptically.

"You make it sound like I'm a dog," Liam sighed, standing.

"Eh, dog, boy, what's the difference?" Ashtyn shrugged.

"You're…incorrigible."

"Fancy word there, pup."

Liam groaned and sat in the empty seat behind Orihime.

"Sit properly, Ashtyn," Skylar sighed, sliding into a seat in the front.

The teacher had mysteriously disappeared.

"But it's so much more fun to sit on a desk!" Ashtyn grinned. "Right, Karmi?"

"Yep!" Karmen giggled, hopping onto a desk.

"I have to agree, too," Rosalia grinned, sitting on Skylar's desk.

"Get your butt of my desk!" Skylar pushed her, sliding her slowly to the edge of the desk.

"Eep!" Rosalia squeaked as she fell onto the floor. "Oww!"

"Are you ok, R—" he cut off as he fell, having gotten a glimpse of Rosalia's underwear.

"That's Kiego," Tatsuki sighed. "He's a pervert and an idiot."

"Good to know," Rosalia giggled, sitting up.

* * *

"Liam!" Ashtyn jumped on her brother's back. "Did you call Lilium?"

"No," he blinked. "Am I supposed to?"

"Do you wanna eat?"

"Calling her now."

Ashtyn giggled as he pulled out his iPhone and made the phone call. She jumped off his back and sauntered over to the orange-haired boy whose desk she'd sat on earlier.

"Hiya," she grinned, leaning forward on his desk.

He glanced up at her.

"Hey."

"You're cute. What's your name?"

"Ichigo," he mumbled, looking away.

"Cool," she giggled, noticing the faint blush on his face. "That means...strawberry?"

"Yeah..."

"That's cool!"

He looked at her like she was crazy.

"It sucks," he grumbled.

"Huh?" she blinked. "Why? I love strawberries! I eat them all the time, and my shampoo is strawberry-scented, too!"

"You can ignore her," Rosalia grinned, coming up behind Ashtyn and wrapping her arms around her.

"No he can't," Ashtyn argued.

"Why not?" Rosalia asked.

"I'm too cute!" Ashtyn giggled.

"Of course you're cute, Ashtyn," Karmen popped up, giggling.

"See?!"

"But not as cute as me, right, Karmi?" Rosalia pressed.

"You're both cute!" she giggled. "Right, Keigo?"

"Yeah!" he nodded enthusiastically, grinning. "Do you guys wanna have lunch with us?"

"What do you think, Ashtyn?" Rosalia asked, looking at her sister.

"Does 'us' include Ichigo?" she grinned.

"You're gonna freak him out, Ashtyn," Rosalia giggled.

"You really think so?"

"Uh-huh," she nodded.

"Aw," she pouted. "Fine. I'll leave it up to you, Rosa."

"Hmm…." Rosalia cocked her head, looking over Keigo scrutinizingly.

Ashtyn suppressed a giggle as Keigo's face reddened ever so slightly.

"All right," Rosalia grinned.

"Great!" Keigo grinned. "C'mon, Ichigo, let's go up to the roof!"

Ichigo sighed, standing and sauntering out of the room.

"Liam, we're going up to the roof," Karmen said.

"All right," he nodded. "I'll come up when Lilium brings the food."

"Kay-kay! Skylar, are you coming?"

Skylar looked at her for a moment, then shrugged.

"Why not?"

"Yay!" Karmen giggled, grabbing Skylar and pulling her toward the door.

"Karmen—" Skylar squeaked, nearly tripping over the desk.

Karmen giggled again.

"Sorry, Sky. Hurry up with the food, Liam!" she called as she ran out, dragging Skylar behind her.

She raced up the stairs, slamming the door open. She dropped Skylar's hand as the group came into sight, sprinting toward them and pouncing on Rosalia's back. Skylar stopped, sighed, straightened her uniform, and walked to the group.

"Hey, Sky!" Rosalia chirped happily.

"Hey, Rose," Skylar said softly, sitting down.

"Oh, this is Mizuiro, and this is Chad," Keigo introduced the final two boys.

The girls' response was cut off by Ashtyn's ringtone.

_Do you know what the French call an orgasm? La—_

"Ashtyn!" Karmen giggled.

Ashtyn just grinned and unlocked her phone, turning off the ringtone.

"Yo. Yep, be there in a sec," she hung up and stood. "Liam needs help. I'll be back in a sec."

She turned and walked toward the edge of the roof, disappearing. The boys scrambled to the edge, freaked out, only to see her dropping down from a window onto the grass below.

"She's crazy, but she's not suicidal," Rosalia said nonchalantly, laying back on the ground.

"Crazy's a good word for it," Ichigo mumbled.

"She's not a fake, though," Skylar said quietly.

Even Rosalia and Karmen looked at her quizzically.

"She doesn't flirt with guys she's not interested in," Skylar explained. "She told you you're cute, Ichigo—she meant it."

Ichigo scowled, looking away.

"I don't think he wants to talk about it, Sky," Karmen giggled.

"He doesn't have to," she replied. "I just wanted to make sure he knew that."

"Why?" Rosalia asked curiously.

"Because she's already acknowledging that she's attracted to him."

"Ohh, so you think it might end up going further than that?"

"It's possible," Skylar nodded.

"What happened to not talking about it?" Karmen asked.

"Sorry, Karmi," Rosalia giggled.

"Sorry, Karmen."

"Don't apologize to me!" Karmen squealed.

"Sorry, Ichigo," both girls said in unison.

He just grunted, and Rosalia laughed.

"We have food!" Ashtyn cheered, walking in with bags of food, Liam following close behind.

"Yay!" Karmen and Rosalia squealed, clapping excitedly.

"What'd she bring us?" Skylar asked.

"The entire store," Liam sighed, setting down his burden on the ground.

"He's not kidding," Ashtyn laughed, dumping her bags out onto the ground.

There was a variety of chips, fruits, cookies, donuts, and other sweets. Liam produced packs of various sodas and juices.

"Help yourselves, guys," Ashtyn grinned, digging in herself. "We eat more than you might expect, but we won't eat all of this."

"Daifuku!" Rosalia squealed, grabbing a little plastic box.

"What'cha listening to, Ash?" Karmen asked, biting into a cookie.

"_Sexting_," Ashtyn said, skewering a donut with her finger.

"Ironic action while saying that word," Rosalia grinned.

"That's so messed up, Rosa," Ashtyn giggled.

"Why is everything sex with you two?" Skylar sighed, biting into an apple.

Ashtyn and Rosalia stared at her blankly.

"That's the one normal thing about them, Sky," Karmen giggled.

"Rude!" Rosalia gasped dramatically. "Funny as hell, and 100% true, but rude!"

"Hey, Rosa, wanna dance to _Yo, Ho_?" Ashtyn asked.

"Hellz yeah!" Rosalia jumped up excitedly.

Ashtyn stood, pulling her phone out and cranking the volume up. She set it on the ground in the middle of the group as the intro came on, causing them to immediately break out in a fit of giggles.

"A pirate walks into the bar. The bartender asks, 'what's with the steering wheel in your pants?' The pirate says, "arr, it's driving me nuts!"

As the singing started, Rosalia and Ashtyn started dancing. Skylar ignored them. Karmen and Liam watched them with mild interest. The other boys, on the other hand, seemed flabbergasted. They apparently hadn't expected any kind of actual dancing, even briefly.

"You should finish eating," Skylar said, stopping them at the intro of a third song.

"But it's BOTDF—"

"Eat your food," Liam cut Ashtyn off.

"Fine," she grumbled, sitting back down.


	11. Chapter 11

"Kisuke."

Kisuke Urahara glanced up from his magazine to find a familiar, undeniably beautiful face peering back at him. She had light brown hair that fell in waves to her hips and ocean-blue eyes. Her lips were quirked in a smile that radiated the sweetness in her.

"Kirstin!" he grinned, jumping up and vaulting over the counter to pull her in for a hug.

She squealed, laughing as he spun her around.

"Someone's excited," a soft, amused voice came from the doorway.

Kisuke stopped, glancing at the girl who'd spoken. She had black hair just past her shoulders, bright blue eyes, and was almost as sweet as Kirstin.

"Hello, Elora!" he said cheerfully.

"Hey, Kisuke," Elora smiled, stepping into the room to give him a hug.

"How was California?" he asked.

"It was nice," Kirstin said, sitting atop the counter.

"And your cousin?"

"She's doing better," Elora said happily. "She's been released from the hospital."

"She's at home with her parents," Kirstin added, "but her brother and sisters came back with us. They're getting the house ready."

"They're moving here?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

"It's gonna be great!" Elora squealed excitedly. "As much as I love you guys, it's nice hanging out with people closer to my age."

"Oh—welcome back," Ururu said softly, entering the room.

"Who—oh, it's you," Jinta paused in the doorway, blinked, and left.

"Thanks, Ururu," Kirstin smiled at the girl, ignoring Jinta's indifference.

"Where's Tessai?" Elora asked curiously.

"Kitchen," Kisuke said nonchalantly.

"I'm gonna go say hi," she smiled and headed away.

"Anything interesting happen while we were gone?" Kirstin asked.

"We've got a substitute shinigami."

"Really?" Kirstin's eyes widened slightly. "Interesting. Who is he?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki. He's a high school student. About to finish his first year, I think."

"Same grade as my cousins," she mused, "Aside from Lils and Harley."

"I thought Krys—"

"She's missed a year, so she'll be in the same grade as the others."

"Oh."

"Mm-hm," she grabbed a lollipop from a jar and stuck it in her mouth.

Kisuke chuckled at the happy look on her face as she sucked on the lollipop. She'd only been gone a few months, but he'd missed her.

Damn, he'd missed her.

* * *

"Oh—Shuhei."

Shuhei and London were in the kitchen, siting at the counter and eating. They looked up as Jaedelyn walked in.

"Hey, Jaedelyn."

"It's good to see you again," she smiled, walking over.

"You, too."

She kissed his forehead, surprised to see him smile; he'd always hated that. He really had grown up….

She noted the smile on London's face, as well. It had been awhile since she'd smiled so happily—ever since she broke up with Shuhei and they'd gone to the world of the living, there'd been a disturbing sadness in her eyes. There was no trace of that sadness now.

"I'll leave you two alone," she smiled knowingly. "Have fun."

She grabbed two sodas and a bag of chips and left.

"We'll put the leftovers in the fridge!" London called after her.

"Looking forward to it!"

London took another bite of her pasta, smiling happily at her new-old boyfriend.

"What?" he asked, suppressing a smile of his own.

"Nothing," she giggled.

"You're a horrible liar."

"I am not!" she squealed, glaring at him.

"Whatever you say."

She growled, returning her attention to her food. She ignored his laughter, although she secretly enjoyed the sound.

"London."

She glanced up.

"What—"

She was cut off as he leaned across the counter, pressing his lips to hers. He lingered for only a few seconds before pulling away. She smiled softly, reaching across the table for his hand.

"You guys are so cute."

They glanced up as Aniston and Izuru came in.

"Hey, Toni," they said at the same time.

"Creepy," she added with a giggle, "but still cute. We're stealing your food. Then we'll leave you alone."

"Ok," London laughed.

"They make the _best food ever_," Aniston gushed, grinning at Izuru as she pulled two bowls out of the cabinet. "There are sodas in the fridge—grab a couple."

He opened the fridge obediently as Aniston spooned pasta into the bowls.

"Later!" Aniston chirped, flitting out of the room with Izuru trailing behind her.

"So, are they—"

"It's complicated," London laughed. "They only met yesterday, actually."

"Really? Izuru's not really the social type, so I assumed they'd known each other awhile…."

"Nope," she shook her head, grinning. "But you know how Aniston is—if she wants something, she gets it."

"That's true," he chuckled.

"I don't think they're official yet, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time."

"They already act like it."

"You should see Jaedelyn and Gin."

"Oh, they finally—"

"Yep! They're disgustingly adorable. This morning at breakfast, she was sitting on his lap eating off of his plate."

"They were always weirdly…physical."

"Yeah," she giggled. "But still. I can't believe he hasn't gotten it yet."

"They haven't—"

"Nope," she shook her head. "Weird, right? With how clingy they were even just as friends—always cuddling and walking around holding hands and stuff—you'd think they'd've gotten to it pretty quickly."

"Yeah…."

"What?" she cocked her head curiously.

"Nothing," he smiled slightly at her, finishing off his food.

She frowned, eating. She sighed and pushed her food away.

"Tell me."

"What?" he glanced up at her.

"Tell me what you were thinking a minute ago."

"I wasn't—"

"Don't lie to me, Shuhei."

He sighed.

"I was thinking that they'll probably get there before we will."

Her eyes widened, her face heating up. She bit her lip and turned away shyly.

"I'm sorry," she said softly—so softly he barely heard it.

"What?"

"I'm sorry—"

"No, I mean…. What are you talking about?"

"Well, I mean, you, I, um…."

"London."

She clamped her mouth shut, continuing to avoid his gaze. He sighed and stood, walking around the table. He crouched down in front of her and took her hands in his.

"London, I didn't mean it like…." he sighed again. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"I know," she mumbled.

"London, please."

She finally looked up at him. He was glad, yet bothered to see tears in her eyes.

"London," he sighed, lifting a hand to her cheek.

She leaned into his palm, closing her eyes. He softly stroked her cheek with his thumb, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing it softly.

"I love you, London," he said softly.

"I love you, too, Shuhei."

"Please don't be upset. How can I make it better?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "Can we just go lie down?"

"Of course," he nodded, standing.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead, put the dishes in the sink and the leftovers in the fridge—the house was still arranged the exact same way it had always been—and took her by the hand, leading her upstairs. He opened her door for her and followed her to her bed. He was more than happy to just lie with her in his arms.

* * *

Thanks for reading! I feel like my last couple of chapters have been pretty...awkward... My next one is better, though! At least in my opinion... Anyway, reviews are much appreciated! :D


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